Information about Grasshoppers: What are their types, are they poisonous?

Grasshoppers found almost everywhere in the world; their fascinating jumping abilities, the sounds they make and their characteristic eyes. They are known for. There are thousands of species and they have existed on our planet for a very long time.

If you are ready, let’s take a journey into the world of grasshoppers, which have interesting features. Interesting facts about grasshoppers that will amaze you Let’s reveal it.

There are more than 10,000 species of grasshoppers in the world.

There are so many species of grasshoppers that are found in almost every part of the world, except for relatively cold regions near the North and South poles. over 10,000 reaching. Grasshopper species in Turkey; We can list them as green grasshopper, black grasshopper, Moroccan grasshopper, Madrap grasshopper and Italian grasshopper.

Except those acrididea, tettigoniidea, gryllidea, pamphagidea, tenaoceridea They have many families such as and there are many subspecies within the families.

Grasshoppers’ ears are on their bellies.

Undoubtedly, the strangest interesting information about grasshoppers is; Their hearing organs are located in their abdomen, not in their heads. A pair of membranes that vibrate in response to sound waves on either side of the abdominal section tucked under the wings It is located. This simple eardrum, called the “tympanal organ”, allows them to hear the sounds of other grasshoppers.

In addition, they do not have very good hearing abilities and cannot distinguish between pitches very well. Especially male grasshoppers’ voices are not melodious. They use their voices to distinguish themselves from others and court males and females of a particular species. a characteristic rhythm They produce and use. They make these sounds by contacting the protrusions on the inside of their hind legs with the thickened edges of their wings.

Grasshoppers have compound eyes.

Another interesting feature about grasshoppers is their eyes, which have probably caught your attention before. Most has a hexagonal lens, multifaceted, large and bulging These eyes in the structure; It has a wide field of view. They detect predators and potential partners by sensing movement in multiple directions.

Grasshoppers existed on earth before dinosaurs.

Today’s grasshoppers descend from ancient ancestors that lived long before dinosaurs existed on Earth. The fossil record shows that primitive locusts first appeared in the Carboniferous Period, that is, More than 300 million years ago shows that it has emerged. Many ancient grasshoppers are preserved as fossils.

Their survival over such a long evolutionary history has enabled them to withstand changing environments. how resilient and adaptable they areA feature that proves it.

Grasshoppers can spit to defend themselves.

If you’ve ever encountered a grasshopper, you may have seen it spitting a brown liquid on you. Scientists believe this behavior is a self defense tool He believes that the liquid helps repel predators.

Some of them are locusts that you spit “tobacco juice” says. This is probably because grasshoppers have historically been associated with tobacco crops.

Locusts can cause great destruction and famine.

Have you ever heard of something called a “locust plague”? Some species can travel over land, consuming all crops and other vegetation in their wake. When this happens, entire regions can be devastated due to the loss of a major food source. Especially in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, where locusts are most common hunger and famine They have the potential to cause

Even though there is no such epidemic today, locusts can cause serious damage to lands. In fact, they cause $1.5 billion in damage annually in the USA alone. But besides all this destruction pest control We should not ignore what they provide.

The world’s largest grasshopper weighs more than a mouse.

The world’s largest grasshopper species, “giant weta”, can weigh up to 71 grams. So average The total weight of 3 mice! This species of grasshopper, which can grow up to 10 cm, can be even larger than a pencil… But there is no need to be afraid, they usually live on some islands of New Zealand. The smallest species are approximately 2 cm long.

Some species of grasshoppers can be poisonous.

In general, the majority of grasshoppers are not poisonous and do not harm humans, but some exceptional grasshopper species can be harmful. As with other living things in nature, especially Colorful and eye-catching grasshopper species may contain poison. We can say that it is almost impossible for locusts, which generally use this poison as a defense mechanism, to harm humans.

Poison found in locusts; It is the same toxin called “tetrodotoxin” found in some fish, and grasshoppers usually use this toxin. on the birds and mammals that prey on them uses. So, if you are bitten by a grasshopper, you do not need to be afraid at all. As humans, we don’t even notice grasshopper bites! Only if you have an additional allergy can you react.

Grasshoppers can not only jump, but also fly.

Another interesting information about grasshoppers is their ability to fly. Although we know grasshoppers best for their jumping, yes, they can actually fly. Well, I guess he doesn’t have those wings for nothing? In fact, many grasshopper species are good flyers and this is how they escape from their enemies. They do jumping as a first step to get away from danger and They can start flying after jumping.

Grasshoppers’ ability to fly is also a tool for them to find food. They usually eat leaves, stems, flowers and seeds. If they are in places where there is not much food for them to eat They fly and look for food. In fact, they can travel up to 50 km per day!

from the animal world of locusts; interesting features such as poisonous species, spitting, the biggest ones, flying grasshoppers, etc. We have seen many of them. These tiny creatures, who would probably run away screaming if they entered our homes, have so many unique characteristics, don’t they? If you want to read about the interesting features of other animals such as grasshoppers, you can write in the comments!

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