At Which Stage of Life Does the Grasshopper Molt?

Physical Description

• Color variations in grasshoppers include green, black, brown and yellow. Like all insects, the grasshopper's body has three segments with six legs, a pair of wings and antennae. One feature that sets grasshoppers apart from other insects is the large pair of hind legs that enables them to hop. Grasshoppers do not have bones or skin, but are covered with an exoskeleton.

Exoskeleton

• Grasshoppers do not have bones. Instead, they have a hard shell on the outside of the body that provides the support that bones would provide and the protection of skin. It is made up of calcium carbonate and a substance called chitin. As the grasshopper ages, the exoskeleton hardens, but it does not grow substantially.

Molt

• Since the exoskeleton does not grow, the grasshopper must shed it in order to grow. This process is called "molting." Grasshoppers go through several molts throughout their lives. During molt, the grasshopper will snap its legs and wings together in order to crack the old exoskeleton. A new exoskeleton will replace the old one.

Grasshopper Development

• A newly hatched grasshopper is called a nymph. This is the juvenille stage of the grasshopper's life. It will go through several molts in this stage. As the grasshopper nears adulthood, it will grow extra segments in its antennae and its wings will become larger. The appearance of genitals signifies the onset of adulthood and the final molt stage when the grasshopper is fully grown.