Grasshopper fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are grasshoppers?

Grasshoppers are jumping insects often seen in grasses, gardens, open bushland and sunny patches of vegetation. They have strong back legs, chewing mouthparts and a hard outer body called an exoskeleton. When disturbed, many grasshoppers leap away and may make a short, buzzing flight before landing again.

At Field of Mars Reserve, grasshoppers may be found among native grasses, low shrubs, leaf litter edges, open tracks and eucalypt forest clearings. They are part of local food webs because they eat plants and are eaten by animals such as birds, lizards, spiders, mantids and wasps.

A grasshopper.

Grasshoppers have strong back legs that help them leap away from predators.

Where do grasshoppers live?

Grasshoppers live in many different habitats. They are often found in open sunny places where grasses, herbs and low plants grow. Some live in gardens and parks, while others live in native grasslands, woodlands, forests, heath and bushland.

At Field of Mars Reserve, grasshoppers can use grassy edges, low shrubs, open tracks, soil, fallen bark and nearby eucalypt forest habitat. Nymphs and adults need plants for food, shelter and camouflage. Some species also need suitable soil where females can lay eggs.

Grasshoppers often rest among grasses, shrubs and low-growing native plants.

Giant green slantface (Acrida conica) in NSW. Its long narrow body helps it blend in with grasses and low plants.

What do grasshoppers eat?

Grasshoppers are mostly herbivores, which means they eat plants. Many feed on grasses, leaves, stems, flowers, seeds and other soft plant parts. Some species prefer grasses, while others feed on broad-leaved plants in gardens and bushland.

By eating plants, grasshoppers move energy from plants into the animal food web. They are then eaten by predators such as birds, reptiles, frogs, spiders, mantids and wasps. When grasshoppers are very numerous, they can damage garden plants, pasture or crops, but in natural habitats they are an important part of the ecosystem.

Giant grasshopper (Valanga irregularis) on a native plant in Myall Lakes National Park, NSW. Grasshoppers use chewing mouthparts to eat leaves and other plant material.

What is the life cycle of a grasshopper?

Grasshoppers have incomplete metamorphosis. This means they hatch from eggs as nymphs that look like small wingless adults. There is no pupa stage.

Female grasshoppers usually use an ovipositor at the tip of their abdomen to lay eggs in a small egg pod in soil or close to the ground. The eggs hatch into nymphs, sometimes called hoppers. As nymphs grow, they shed their hard outer exoskeleton in a process called moulting. Each time they moult, they become larger and more adult-like. Wing buds grow as the nymphs develop. After the final moult, the grasshopper becomes an adult with fully developed wings.

A spur-throated Locust (Austracris guttulosa) nymph in Wagga Wagga, NSW. Grasshopper and locust nymphs look like small wingless adults and grow by moulting.

What adaptations do grasshoppers have to help them survive?

Grasshoppers have several adaptations that help them survive. Their large hind legs help them jump quickly away from predators. Their body colour often matches grasses, leaves, bark or soil, making them harder to see. Some species stay still when disturbed, while others leap or fly away suddenly.

Grasshoppers have chewing mouthparts for eating tough plant material. Many have spines on their legs that help them grip stems and leaves. Many male grasshoppers can make sounds by rubbing parts of their legs and wings together. These sounds can help them communicate with other grasshoppers.

Large eyes, chewing mouthparts and strong legs help grasshoppers survive among low plants.

What is the difference between grasshoppers, crickets, katydids and locusts?

Grasshoppers, crickets, katydids and locusts are all orthopterans. They share features such as strong back legs and chewing mouthparts, but they are not all the same.

Grasshoppers usually have shorter antennae and are mostly active during the day. Crickets and katydids usually have very long antennae and many are active at night. Locusts are short-horned grasshoppers that can build up in large numbers and form moving nymph bands or flying adult swarms when rainfall, food and population conditions are suitable.

A katydid in Deua National Park, NSW. Katydids are related to grasshoppers, but they usually have much longer antennae.

Why are grasshoppers important?

Grasshoppers are important in food webs. They eat plants and are food for many other animals, including birds, lizards, frogs, spiders, mantids, robber flies and wasps. This makes them an important link between plants and predators.

Grasshoppers also help recycle nutrients. Their droppings and dead bodies return nutrients to the soil, where fungi, bacteria and other decomposers break them down. In healthy bushland, grasshoppers are part of the balance between plants, herbivores, predators and decomposers.

Grasshoppers are part of food webs and are eaten by birds, lizards, spiders and other predators.

How can you help grasshoppers?

At Field of Mars Reserve and in school grounds, protecting native grasses, shrubs and leaf litter helps keep habitat available for grasshoppers and the animals that feed on them. Gardens and school grounds with a mix of local native plants provide food and shelter for many small animals, including grasshoppers.

Avoid unnecessary pesticide use, because pesticides can kill grasshoppers and the predators that feed on them. Leave some leaf litter, fallen bark and quiet ground habitat where possible. Watch grasshoppers carefully instead of catching or harming them, and return any moved animals to the place where they were found.

Protecting native grasses, shrubs and leaf litter helps grasshoppers and other small animals.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – Explore more student-friendly fact sheets about insects, spiders and other invertebrates.
• Insects fact sheet – Learn about the main features of insects and how grasshoppers fit into this group.
• Cricket fact sheet – Compare grasshoppers with crickets, another group of orthopteran insects.
• Common garden katydid fact sheet – Compare grasshoppers with katydids, which usually have much longer antennae.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – Learn about the local bushland habitats where grasshoppers may be found.
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet – Explore the local bushland ecosystem that supports many Field of Mars Reserve animals.
• Ground cover habitats fact sheet – Grasses and low plants provide food and shelter for grasshoppers and other invertebrates.
• Leaf litter habitats fact sheet – Leaf litter and ground cover support grasshoppers, predators and decomposers.
• Shrub habitats fact sheet – Shrubs and low vegetation provide resting, feeding and hiding places for small animals.

Food webs and ecological relationships

• Praying mantid fact sheet – Praying mantids are predators that may catch grasshoppers and other insects.
• Jumping spider fact sheet – Jumping spiders are active hunters that may catch small insects such as grasshoppers.

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