The abundance of insects in the summer is always amazing. Many do not even think that millions of different living creatures live in the grass. Some seem to be exactly the same, but they are not at all. For example, a grasshopper and a locust are very similar in appearance, but upon closer examination, you can see that they have quite a lot of differences.
Grasshopper and locust: differences in behavior
As a rule, grasshoppers lead a solitary lifestyle, they never get together and do not unite for survival. They also differ in that they lay eggs in a certain way in the bark of trees or in crevices in fences and poles.
The locust lays its eggs directly in the soil, one egg at a time or in clusters of 3-4 eggs.
Locusts have the unique ability to switch from a solitary life to a herd life. As long as conditions are favorable and she is able to find enough food, this insect prefers to live alone. However, after their food source diminishes and dries up, the locusts are forced to come into close contact with their relatives.
Grasshopper and Locust: Differences in Nutrition
Grasshoppers eat smaller insects, meaning they are omnivorous predators. In hunting, they are helped by the structure of their front legs and the camouflage color of the body.
The locust, unlike the grasshopper, feeds exclusively on plants. When in a swarm, locusts are capable of traveling long distances at high speeds. So, in 1954, a swarm of these insects flew from northwest Africa to Great Britain. Three decades later, in 1988, a swarm of locusts flew out of West Africa and reached the Caribbean. These insects covered 5000 km in just 10 days.
The locust eats the equivalent of its own weight per day, so when a swarm forms, it is capable of destroying vast amounts of vegetation in its path. For agriculture, this can be disastrous.
Grasshopper and locust: external differences
Grasshoppers are most often green, as their habitat is vegetation. This helps them to better camouflage and attack smaller insects. In addition, grasshoppers have a flexible head with rather sharp jaws. Their size and structure allows them to jump well, they have massive hind legs and short front legs, which makes them good hunters. If you don't know who is in front of you - a grasshopper or a locust, look at the antennae of the insect. If they are thin and very long, it is a grasshopper.
Despite the differences, locusts and grasshoppers belong to the same order - Orthoptera.
The locust has an elongated, oblong body, usually brown or yellow in color. However, these insects are green, brown and gray. They have short antennae, no more than the head. The front legs of the locust are weaker than those of the grasshopper. She uses them as a support when moving. The hind legs of this insect are shorter and stronger, which allows the locust to make long leaps.
