What a grasshopper looks like, every child knows, starting from kindergarten. But this stereotype is very misleading. There are more than 6 thousand species of grasshoppers and they look completely different. Some are similar to those that are painted in children's books, some are like those that are shown in horror films. There are even those that cannot be distinguished from real leaves and they have an incredible level of stealth. Grasshoppers live in diverse areas and can be found on almost all continents except Antarctica.
We invite you to get acquainted with the largest representatives of grasshoppers in the world, which can reach up to 15 centimeters in length. But with all this, even the largest grasshoppers do not look intimidating, and some are even kept at home.
List
- 10. Green grasshopper, 36 mm
- 9. Grasshopper leaf, 60 mm
- 8. Thick Pallas, 60 mm
- 7. Sparkling Devil, 70 mm
- 6. Mormon, 80 mm
- 5. Pseudophyllinae, 80 mm
- 4. Giant Ueta, 100 mm
- 3. Giant long-legged grasshopper, 100 mm
- 2. Step steppe, 120 mm
- 1. Peacock Grasshopper, 150 mm
10. Green grasshopper, 36 mm
Adults green grasshopper can reach 28-36 mm in length. Although this is the average size of insects, among grasshoppers this species is listed as the largest.
They prefer to live in moist meadows, swamps, grassy thickets and forest edges. They feed mainly on other small insects. If they cannot catch such delicacies, then they absorb leaves, buds and flowers in large quantities. Sometimes cannibalism is observed.
There are no structural features. May be bright green or yellowish. This is just that familiar look that everyone knows, from small to large. Most often it is precisely these grasshoppers that are painted in the encyclopedia for review.
9. Grasshopper leaf, 60 mm
This is an incredible insect that is very difficult to distinguish from a real leaf. It simulated not only color and shape, but even veins. For predators who want to feast on this insect, the task is almost impossible. He even disguised his paws, which looked like dry twigs.
Of all species of grasshoppers, and there are more than six thousand, this is perhaps one of the most unusual. In length grasshopper leaf reaches 60 mm. There are a lot of such subspecies with an incredible level of camouflage and they all reached this level through evolution.
8. Thick Pallas, 60 mm
The feature of this grasshopper is very unusual, it is not only one of the largest, but also does not know how to jump. It would seem that this is a distinctive feature of this species of insects, but Fat Pallas cannot raise his body high on such thin legs.
By the way, that's why he got his nickname and fully justifies it. Most often you can meet them in Asia, but you can also see them in Russia. They are often kept at home. In the wild, they prefer plant foods, but can relish the remnants of other insects.
At home, they are fed vegetables and fruits. The coloring is very interesting and not typical for grasshoppers. Dark brown with symmetrical tan stripes. Everything in this insect is atypical for its brethren; it prefers to crawl away from danger rather than jump.
7. Sparkling Devil, 70 mm
The appearance of this grasshopper is amazing, but it is thanks to its unusual needles that it can protect itself. It got such a terrible name precisely because of its unusual and pumping appearance.
It is completely sprinkled with needles. If predators or birds try to get close to him, he begins to swing his front paws and threaten with sharp thorns. You can meet him along the Amazon and listen to serenades that he sings at night to fly there.
Eat Sparkling Devils plant foods, but don't mind eating other insects. In length, it reaches 70 mm and this is enough to repulse his opponents. Also, to scare off his opponents, he came up with a cunning plan. When he sees that a predator is approaching him, he sharply raises his hind legs, which are brightly colored and until the predator comes to his senses it quickly crawls away.
6. Mormon, 80 mm
The appearance of a grasshopper is no different from the usual. The only thing is that the body is more round and it looks very “well-fed”. It belongs to pests, as it often spoils garden plants. It lives in North America closer to pastures to eat plants planted by man.
In length Mormon reaches 80 mm, and in conjunction with its volumes, it looks very massive. He can cover distances of more than two kilometers per day, despite the fact that this species does not fly.
5. Pseudophyllinae, 80 mm
This is a subfamily of grasshoppers that can reach a length of 30 to 80 mm. The appearance resembles leaves, including veins, twigs and even brown spots. To distinguish them on earth from real leaves is almost impossible. This camouflage can only be envied, because not every insect can disguise itself from predators as much as Pseudophyllinae.
4. Giant Ueta, 100 mm
This species can be found in New Zealand. In length, it reaches 100 mm, and weighs more than 70 g. Such volumes make it very impressive and even awesome. In the movie “King Kong”, these grasshoppers were increased in size in frames.
Of all the insects Giant Ueta occupies a leading line in weight. The paws are equipped with spikes, which adds even more horror. They live not only in forests, but also in open areas, in caves and even in cities. They are considered to be living fossils, due to their long existence.
This species of grasshoppers is listed in the Guinness Book of Records, there are not very many of them left and numerous rodents have influenced it. Ueta - the collective name of insects from the order of Orthoptera. All of them belong to two families and live on the territory of the New Zealand archipelago and adjacent islands.
3. Giant long-legged grasshopper, 100 mm
Perhaps this is one of the most unusual insects in the world. When he sits on his hands, in size you can compare it with a small kitten. The total length reaches 100 mm, but because of the long legs it looks much larger. You can meet them only in the mountains, not far from Malaysia. They are well camouflaged and look like green leaves.
Despite the length of the legs, Giant legged grasshopper prefers to crawl rather than jump. It feeds on plants, but can also taste other insects. He activates at night, he gets food only in the moonlight.
2. Step steppe, 120 mm
This species of grasshopper can be found in most of Eurasia, but it is very difficult to notice it in its habitat. Steppe prefers ravines and other inaccessible places.
It can be 120 mm in length, it looks very impressive from this. Color is green or slightly yellowish. He is very active at night, during the day he prefers to sit in tall grass and avoid predators.
1. Peacock Grasshopper, 150 mm
This grasshopper has several names, but the most popular is peacock. He received his nickname because of the unusual appearance, which resembles a peacock tail. This species was discovered recently on the 2006 expedition.
He has two tricky defense plans. At first it looks like a fallen leaf, with closed wings it is very difficult to distinguish it. But if a predator approaches him, he opens his wings and starts jumping so that his eye-shaped patterns give the impression of a big bird.
The insect reaches a size of 150 mm and looks incredibly beautiful with wings spread. This pattern is used by many butterflies.