grashopper

1. Grasshoppers are herbivorous insectknown asa pestpowerful jumpingability (canreachdistances
of upto 20 timesitsbodylength).
Duringreproduction,the male grasshopperwillenterthe spermatophore (one packetcontaining
sperm) intothe female locustovipositor.Spermentersthe eggthroughsubtle channelscalled
micropyles.
Afterthe eggis fertilized,the femalegrasshopper’seggwill implantapproximately1-2inchesinthe
groundusingthe ovipositoratthe tipof herabdomen.Grasshopperfemaleswill layeggsevery3-4
day intervalsuntil all the eggisreleased.Grasshopperfemale canlayupto hundredsof itemsduring
the spawningperiod.
In additiontothe soil,grasshopperscanalsolaytheireggsonplants(stems,leaves,orflowers).
Locust eggswill remaininthe soil formonthseverandwill hatchinthe summer.Parent
grasshoppersdonottake care of theirchildrenafterhatching.
Grasshoppereggshatch intonymphs,withamini version of the adultlocustwithoutwings and
reproductive organs.The newlyhatched nymphgrasshoppers usuallywhite,butonce exposedto
sunlight,theirdistinctive colorswill soonappear.
Duringthe periodof growth,grasshoppernymphs will experience moltmanytimes(about4-6times)
until becominganadultlocustwithadditional functional wings.The life span asa grasshopper
nymphs are 25-40 days.
Afterpassingthrough the nymph stage,ittakes14 daysfor themto become sexuallymature.After
that they live only 2-3weeksleft,wherethe restof the time wasusedforreproduction andlaytheir
eggs.The total life spanof locustsafterhatchingisabout2 months(1 monthas nymphs,1 monthas
an adultgrasshoppers), andeventhen if theyare safe frompredators.Afterthe eggs hatchthey
produce,shortlife cycle will be repeated locust.