Grasshopper Dissection

Gary

Grasshoppers live in dry, open, grasslands among low plants, but some species can be found in jungles and forests.

While grasshoppers may look like they are vicious hunters, because of their mandibles and legs that allow for high jumping, grasshoppers are strict herbivores. They feed on plant life, and can often destroy crop when feasting in large groups known as locusts.

Grasshoppers utilize tracheal breathing to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide between their tissues.

Fun fact: Grasshoppers existed long before dinosaurs! The ancestors of our modern day grasshoppers evolved well over 200 millions year ago, during the Triassic period, when the first reptiles appeared on Earth. The fossil record shows that primitive grasshoppers first appeared during the Carboniferous period, more than 300 million years ago. Most ancient grasshoppers are preserved as fossils, although grasshopper nymphs are occasionally found in amber.