Hobbies And Interests
Habitat and Social Behavior
Grasshoppers can be found in nearly all parts of the United States and many other locations worldwide. They thrive in nearly all regions types, particularly grasslands, forests, wetlands, deserts, prairies and mountains. Grasshoppers are typically solitary insects, traveling and eating alone, thereby producing little ecological impact. Rarely, high grasshopper birthrates lead to overcrowding in an area with limited food supply. When this happens, grasshoppers form swarms, at which point they are called locusts. Swarms of locusts can be extremely harmful to the environment. They can travel hundreds of miles per day, eating everything they see and destroying crops and fields.
Diet and Feeding
Grasshoppers are herbivores, which means they only eat plants and vegetation, not other insects. Grasshoppers typically eat leaves, weeds, shrubs, trees and grass, as well as various crops grown by humans. Grasshoppers eat quickly and thoroughly, using their powerful jaws to cut through and consume plant material. This insect's eating abilities are magnified in swarms. Locust swarms can eat through an entire crop field in minutes, leaving nothing behind.
The Food Chain
Grasshoppers are an important part of the food chain. They are an integrated part of many ecosystems. The elimination of grasshoppers would disrupt nature's balance. Grasshoppers, as herbivores, consume vegetation to obtain carbohydrates produced by plant photosynthesis. They are prey for birds and other arthropods. Their droppings return nutrients to the soil and fertilize plants.
Natural Enemies
Grasshoppers are a common source of prey for birds. They also serve as a tasty meal for spiders, robber flies and some wasps. Grasshopper eggs are a food source for bee flies, blister beetles, ground beetles and crickets. Grasshoppers also can be afflicted with parasites. Fly larvae, threadworms, fungi and microsporidian parasites are known to affect grasshoppers and grasshopper eggs.
Interactions with Humans
Grasshoppers have the capacity to destroy entire fields of human crops, which make them a pest in agriculture. Many pest control measures are aimed at reducing or eliminating grasshopper populations in farming areas. Grasshoppers also serve as a source of human food in many cultures. They are ground into locust meal and consumed in Africa and Asia. They have been, and are still, considered nutritious and delicious by many cultures worldwide.