Acrididae
Charilaidae
Dericorythidae
Eumastacidae
Euschmidtiidae
Lathiceridae
Lentulidae
Lithidiidae
Ommexechidae
Pamphagidae
Pneumoridae
Pyrgacrididae
Pyrgomorphidae
Romaleidae
Tanaoceridae
Tetrigidae
Thericleidae
Tridactylidae
Tristiridae Caelifera is a suborder of herbivorous insects of the order Orthoptera, commonly called grasshoppers in English. This suborder includes many families of grasshoppers. Grasshoppers can jump long distances with their powerful hind legs and most are also capable of flight. Swarming grasshoppers are called locusts. Real grasshoppers have short antennae. “Grasshoppers” with antennae that are as long as or longer than their body, are in fact bush crickets or katydids. Grasshoppers develop through stages that progressively get larger in body and wing size. This development is referred to as hemimetabolous or incomplete development. Taxonomically, Borror and White (1970) note that the hind femora are usually enlarged, tarsi have three segments or less, antennae are relatively short, tympana are usually present on the sides fo the first abdomenal segment, and the ovipositor is short. Taxonomic descriptions of the families are more specific.

Grasshoppers as food

In many places around the world, grasshoppers are eaten as a good source of protein. Supposedly, some countries instruct military personnel to collect grasshoppers to eat as a food source.

Locusts

When populations of certain species of Short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae grow too big, its members start swarming and transform into locusts. Locust swarms are known to cause massive damage to crops. (Tropidacris violaceus) is two inches (5 cm) long]]

See Also

• Locust
• Orthoptera

More photos

	This Giant South American Grasshopper

External links

• Orthoptera Image Gallery (Iowa State University Entomology Department)
• Australian Plague Locust Commission

References

Borror, Donald J. and Richard E. White. Insects (Peterson Field Guides). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1970.