The Feet of the Grasshopper

What do the feet of the Grasshopper look like?

The Grasshopper, Cricket, and Locust are insects in the Orthoptera order and the Caelifera suborder, with thousands of different species. Most of them are in the Acridoidea superfamily of grasshoppers and locusts. They are all herbivorous, eating grass and vegetation.

They have six legs with receptors on each leg that can detect movement and vibrations as well as temperature.

Koppie Foam Grasshopper

Their hind legs (back legs) are large, with large flexor muscles in their femurs, and a special piece of cuticle within the knee that acts like a spring, which are all ideal for jumping. 

Each leg has a tibia with spurs, and a tarsus with spurs. At the end of each leg, at the bottom of the tarsus are claws, called tarsal claws, which are used for gripping grass and leaves.

Koppie Foam Grasshopper
Migratory Locust
Migratory Locust
Migratory Locust
Bow-Winged Grasshopper
Bow-Winged Grasshopper

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM

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