How to distinguish a grasshopper from a locust. All about the locust insect

And grasshoppers are distributed throughout almost the entire territory of our country. Every rural and even city dweller in the warm season has heard the mesmerizing chirping of these individuals more than once. Many even mistakenly believe that these are the same insect. In fact, there are more than enough parameters for how a cricket differs from a grasshopper.

External features

Both insects are representatives of the order Orthoptera, each occupying its own family: crickets and grasshoppers. Those who had the opportunity to see both side by side will be able to note that the difference is obvious:

• Grasshoppers are greenish in color and have very thin and long hind legs. The cricket has a more squat, brown color, somewhat similar to. The hind pair of legs is less developed.
• There is a clear difference in size among representatives of Orthoptera. The body length of green orthoptera is about 2.8-3.9 cm, and crickets do not grow more than 30 mm.
• There are differences between the grasshopper and the cricket in the mechanism of reproduction. Both species are equally attractive to the female. To do this, insects begin to chirp. The louder and more active the sound, the greater the chances of mating. But the female grasshopper has a more modernized organ for laying eggs. He helps her reliably hide her offspring from her enemies. The female cricket has a needle-shaped ovipositor, through which she lays her young in plants.

On a note!

Upon closer examination of the photo, one can note the difference in the methods of laying the wings. In the process of folding, grasshoppers push one wing over the other, forming the shape of a house. The cricket covers its left wing with its right wing horizontally.

Taste preferences

The differences between the grasshopper and the firefly also affect the way they feed. Grasshoppers are predators by nature and choose other insects as food. A representative of Orthoptera waits until the prey loses vigilance and clasps it with its powerful forepaws. Developed oral apparatus allows you to cope even with larger specimens. Individuals do not disdain their own similar representatives, who are smaller and weaker. They can switch to plant foods only in cases of exception, if there are no insects nearby.

Crickets are more willing to eat plant foods. They drink the juice of the plant, thereby leading to their death. When a large population spreads nearby summer cottage serious damage to plantings can be caused, since individuals will prefer dry weeds succulent seedlings. If they settle in human habitation, then the way of eating

Remembering your favorite children's song about a grasshopper, no one will have any problems describing this insect: oval shape, green color and very bouncy legs. And, most likely, you can also identify a grasshopper on the street without much doubt. But are you sure that this is actually a grasshopper and not a locust? What do locusts even look like? And how is it different from a grasshopper? And is it different at all?

It’s unlikely that you’ve ever thought about these questions, but the answers to them can reveal a lot of unexpected things to you. By the way, grasshoppers and locusts are indeed completely different insects.

Name grasshopper didn't happen by accident. The chirping sound of this insect is reminiscent of the sound that comes from a tiny hammer striking a miniature anvil. The grasshopper, as strange as it may sound, is a real predator, whose bite causes a lot of unpleasant sensations. It belongs to the suborder Longwhiskers, the family of True Grasshoppers. But it is worth noting that grasshoppers are for humans more like friends than their enemies: they massively destroy phytophagous insects. It’s probably not in vain that they dedicated an entire song to the grasshopper.

Herbivore locusts- Short mustache, Filly family. Despite the apparent harmlessness of this insect, locusts (mainly in southern countries) or grasshoppers (everywhere) completely devour farmland. History also knows cases when, due to the fault of locusts, entire countries were left without food supplies.

Nutrition

As already noted, the grasshopper is a predator, which means its diet includes various small animals. But, besides this, grasshoppers feast on some flowers and even fruits with no less pleasure.

Locusts have no dietary preference. Apart from the fact that she is a herbivore, there are probably no restrictions. These insects generally have a high food specialization, and are among the most adaptable insects in the world.

song grasshopper
Locust

Habitat

Most often, the grasshopper can be found in dark time days, located on tree branches or bushes. These insects prefer to wait out the day, gathering in large quantities in some secluded place. At night they often fly into the light in the window.

Locusts, on the contrary, are most active during the day, located in thickets of grass or simply on the ground. You can often find whole swarms of locusts.

Appearance

The grasshopper has a movable head with narrow and very sharp jaws; the muzzle, despite its small size, has a predatory and very angry expression. The abdomen is not long, but quite massive, which gives it some compactness when hunting.

The locust's head is inactive, a blunt muzzle with powerful jaws. With all their appearance, locusts radiate calmness and lack of aggression. The long, oblong abdomen makes it possible to digest grass with great success.

Mustache

The whiskers of grasshoppers are much longer than those of locusts. They are of great importance in the life of this insect. With the help of its whiskers, the grasshopper easily navigates in space and also gropes for its prey. The locust's whiskers do not carry any semantic meaning, and therefore, other than decorative, have no meaning. Therefore, their short length does not in any way affect the organization of locust life.

Limbs

The hind legs of the grasshopper are slightly longer than those of the locust. With their help, this insect moves and pushes off when attacking prey. The forelimbs help to grab branches when moving through trees, and in addition, they are involved in catching the “future dinner”.

The front legs of a locust are much weaker than those of a grasshopper. They do not play a special role in the life of this insect; their main task is to create support when moving. And the locust's hind legs are not as long as those of its fellow, but it is thanks to them that the locust can jump so far.

Ovipositor

At the back of the female grasshopper there is an ovipositor that resembles appearance sword. Thanks to it, grasshoppers lay their eggs under the bark of trees, inside stems or other very secluded places. Locusts lay eggs in the soil, but they do not have such an ovipositor.

Conclusions website

1. Grasshoppers belong to the Long-whiskered subfamily, grasshopper family, and locusts belong to the Short-whiskered subfamily, Filly family.
2. Locusts are herbivorous insects, while grasshoppers are predators.
3. Locusts harm humans, but grasshoppers are beneficial.
4. Grasshoppers are most active at night, flying towards the light of a fire. Locusts prefer daylight hours for their movements and chirping.
5. The locust has shorter antennae and legs than the grasshopper, but a more elongated abdomen.
6. Grasshoppers lay eggs using a special ovipositor and in secluded places. Locusts lay their eggs directly in the soil.

The locust insect lives everywhere, with the exception of the Far North and Antarctica. You can meet him in a forest clearing, in a city park, in a ditch by the side of the road, in a vegetable garden. In its own way, this is a unique creature in which two development programs are genetically embedded. While the locust lives as a hermit, unaware of its own kind, it is completely harmless. But as soon as she sees her closest relatives, the spirit of collectivism awakens in her. Insects unite in numerous swarms and cause devastating damage to farmers.

General characteristics of the pest

Locust sizes vary from 3 to 7 cm. Females are larger than males. The body is oblong, attached to it are rigid elytra and a pair of translucent wings, which remain invisible when folded. The color is very variable and depends on the age, conditions and lifestyle that the locust leads:

• Even individuals emerging from the same oviposition may differ in coloring.
• What a locust looks like is also determined by the phase of its development.
• In the European zone, single individuals are predominantly yellow, brick, green, olive, brown in color, which helps to camouflage against the background of the surrounding vegetation.
• The older the individual, the darker its color becomes.
• If the locust joins the swarm, it acquires the same color as the rest of the team members.

The locust belongs to the order Orthoptera of the locust family.

The large head is not particularly mobile. Large crescent-shaped eyes and a rectangular, almost square muzzle of the locust give the insect a good-natured appearance. The gnawing mouthparts are represented by powerful jaws that help gnaw through even the thickest and most durable stems. The insect gnaws leaves with its upper mandibles, and only then crushes them using its lower mandibles.

A distinctive feature of locusts from their closest relatives: crickets and grasshoppers is their short whiskers, their length does not exceed half the body.

The pinkish hind legs are well developed, which allows the locust to jump at a distance of 20 times its length. It is no coincidence that insects are endowed with jumping abilities. In the larval stage, they still cannot fly and their motor capabilities are limited to crawling and jumping. Some species do not exhibit flight activity even as adults.

How long locusts live depends on environmental conditions. Rainy seasons provoke the development of fungal plant diseases, which leads to insect infection and death. Natural enemies: wild wasps, beetles, birds can also shorten life expectancy. Humans also make their contribution by destroying pests. If the locusts are in optimal conditions and did not become anyone’s victim, then it can live from 8 months to 2 years, depending on the species.

Insect diet

For the most part, locusts spend their time on leaves, flowers, and grass. Locusts are the most vegetarians without any obvious food preferences. Most species do not care what kind of crop it is - wild or agricultural. They feed on the leaves of plants, trees, shrubs, and all ground parts of plantings. Only some species have a preference herbaceous plants. During its life, an insect eats an average of 300-350 g of plant mass, and the daily volume is twice its own weight.

For certain species they serve as food poisonous plants. As toxic components accumulate in the locust's body, it becomes poisonous. These individuals are characterized by bright, flashy colors, which seem to warn of the danger of everyone who wants to feast on locusts.

When insects gather in swarms, what the locusts feed on depends on the objects that come across its path. In this case, they can even be eaten thatched roofs, cane, not to mention vegetables, grains, melons. As eyewitnesses say, during insect attacks, locusts only devour bricks and iron.

The insect is bred as food for various exotic animals. Therefore, the question of what locusts eat at home does not surprise anyone. In insectariums they are fed twice a day with grain, green herbs, and some owners even prepare sprouted wheat for their pets.

How do locusts reproduce?

Females begin laying eggs in late summer, in autumn. To do this, she makes a hole in the soil and lays her eggs in it. A special secretion is released from a special gland, which, like foam, fills all the holes between the eggs and creates a strong reliable protection. Once hardened, the ovipositor appears in the shape of a long tube called an egg capsule.

One female makes several clutches, after which she dies. In European latitudes, the eggs spend the winter in the ground, and with the arrival of warmer weather, white larvae emerge from them. They are distinguished from their parents by their tiny size and underdeveloped wings. After a few hours, the larva acquires a characteristic color and begins to feed intensively. After 4-6 weeks, having undergone 4 molts, it turns into an adult.

In warm tropical climates, females lay eggs year-round and the number of generations per year can be 6-8.

Phases of development

As has already been noted, locusts have two development options: solitary and gregarious, which are strikingly different from each other.

Single cycle

The locust filly, as single individuals are called, develops freely with an abundance of food and leads an inactive, shy lifestyle, which is why it was previously systematized as separate species. Single individuals are characterized by camouflage coloration and pronounced sexual dimorphism. Substantial harm the filly does not bring.

In fact, a single phase of locust development is necessary for the preservation of the population. The female lays eggs and when the food supply becomes insufficient to feed all the larvae, the locust moves on to another stage of development.

Herd development

Association in swarms is observed in hot, dry years, when locusts begin to experience a shortage of food and moisture. According to recent studies, a lack of protein provokes females to intensively lay so-called “campaign” offspring.

Interesting! In laboratory conditions, many mirrors were placed in the area of ​​a sedentary filly. Seeing her reflections, the female began to actively lay eggs according to the “walking program”.

Gathering into a large tribe, intense friction against each other, the visibility of their own kind, the smell of fellow tribesmen causes a powerful production of serotonin in the nervous system.

Due to the release of the hormone, individuals literally undergo dramatic morphological changes in a matter of hours:

• change of color;
• increase in size;
• leveling sexual dimorphism.

Clusters of adult flying locusts are called swarms; the larvae form swarms. The population moves, as if on command, in one direction. Weakened individuals are eaten along the way by their fellow tribesmen. Adult locusts are capable of long flights and cover from 90 to 140 km per day.

The length of the flocks is measured in tens of kilometers, and the number can reach several billion individuals. The weight of such “collectives” reaches tens of tons.

The locust invasion cannot go unnoticed. The sound of approaching insects is comparable to the sound of thunder, and the flock itself covers the sun.

On its way, the flock devours literally everything, even the thatched roofs of houses, vineyards, orchards, vegetable and grain plantations. Just decades ago, locust attacks caused famine. Now the flocks are causing colossal losses to farmers. In 2015, a locust invasion in Russia destroyed an area comparable to the territory of an entire state, for example, Romania.

Types of locusts

There are many types of locusts. Most of them quickly adapt to new conditions and develop new territories.

The largest locust

This is the largest locust of all migratory species. The size of females reaches 8 cm, males are slightly smaller - 6 cm. Color can vary from dirty yellow shades to brown. There are many veins on the wings. Lives mainly in the Sahara and Hindustan.

The most intense bright yellow color is found in larvae and males. The mating process of bright individuals is very interesting. The male begins to chirp furiously, attracting the female. Female who liked it musical accompaniment, kindly allows the male to climb on her back. Mating continues for several hours. Some cavaliers like to mount the female so much that they continue to do this even at the moment when the female is busy laying eggs. Life expectancy is only 8 weeks.

Asian locust

The Asian migratory locust has inconspicuous colors in brownish, greenish, and yellowish tones. The wings are also not characterized by bright colors. The insect can be found throughout Europe, Asia, the south of the Caucasus, Siberia, Korea, and China.

Egyptian locust

This is the largest locust found in Europe. The body length of females can reach 7-8 cm. Only the South American locust can compete with its size. According to some sources, they grow up to 20 cm in length, but there is no exact evidence of this.

The Egyptian locust is distinguished by its gray, olive, greenish, and yellow color. The shins are bright orange. Terrorizes Europe, North Africa.

The benefits and harms of locusts

The greatest damage is caused by swarms of locusts that destroy fields and plantings. However, the average person, who does not care about the safety of the crop, is more interested in the answer to the question of whether locusts bite. The insect eats exclusively plant food and does not bite humans, unlike its fellow grasshopper.

An equally pressing question is whether locusts are eaten. Orthoptera are the most commonly consumed insects after ants. In African countries they fry it and mix it into flat cakes. Arab women several centuries ago could prepare 2 dozen dishes from locusts. Cooking recipes have lost their relevance due to a shortage of ingredients.

In California, during locust outbreaks, entire feasts were held. The captured insects were soaked in a marinade, then crushed and prepared into soups. The Japanese marinate it in soy sauce and fry it. In a word, there are many recipes for cooking locusts, but not everyone can appreciate its taste, not so much because of inaccessibility, but because of disgust.

Locusts and grasshoppers: how to distinguish

Locusts and grasshoppers have several differences:

• The locust's body is long, while the grasshopper's is shorter and wider at the sides;
• The grasshopper's whiskers are longer;
• the grasshopper is active at night, and the locust during the day;
• locusts eat plants, and grasshoppers eat insects;
• The grasshopper's muzzle is oblong, the locust's is rectangular.

Locust is a large arthropod insect from the family of true locusts (lat. Acrididae), part of the order Orthoptera, suborder Short-whiskered. In ancient times it was the main threat to crops cultivated plants. Descriptions of locusts are found in the Bible, the works of ancient Egyptian authors, the Koran and treatises of the Middle Ages.

Locust - description of an insect.

The locust has an elongated body from 5 to 20 cm long with rear legs bent at the knees, significantly larger in size than the middle and front ones. Two rigid elytra cover a pair of translucent wings, which are difficult to notice when folded. Sometimes they are covered with various patterns. Locusts have shorter antennae than crickets or grasshoppers. The head is large, with large eyes. The sound of locusts is formed as follows: males have special notches located on the surface of the thighs, and special thickenings on the elytra. When they rub against each other, a specific chirping sound is heard, which has a different tonality.

Locust color depends not on genes, but on the environment. Even individuals from the same offspring who grew up in different conditions, will differ in color. In addition, the color of the insect’s protective covers depends on the phase of its development. For example, in single stage In life, a male or female locust may have a bright green, yellow, gray or brown camouflage color and pronounced sexual differences. During the transition to the gregarious phase, the coloration becomes the same for everyone, and sexual dimorphism is leveled out. Locusts fly very quickly: when flying, a swarm of locusts can cover a distance of up to 120 km in one day.

What is the difference between a locust and a grasshopper?

• The locust is an insect from the locust family, suborder short-whiskered, and grasshoppers are part of the grasshopper family, suborder long-whiskered.
• The locust's whiskers and legs are shorter than those of the grasshopper.
• Grasshoppers are predators, and locusts are herbivorous insects. Although sometimes during long flights a locust can eat a weakened individual of the same species.
• The locust leads active image life during the day, and grasshoppers are active at night.
• Locusts cause harm agriculture humans, unlike harmless grasshoppers.
• Locusts lay their eggs in the soil or leaves on the ground, and in the stems of plants or under the bark of trees.

Types of locusts, names and photographs.

(lat. Dociostaurus maroccanus)– insect small size, body length rarely exceeds 2 cm. The color of adults is reddish-brown, with small dark spots scattered over the body and an unusual cross-shaped pattern light tone on the back. The hindquarters are pink or yellow on the thighs and red on the lower legs. Despite their miniature size, the Moroccan locust causes enormous damage to farmland and crops, gathering in numerous hordes and destroying absolutely everything that grows on the ground in its path. Lives this type locusts in Africa, Central Asia and Algeria, sultry Egypt, arid Libya and Morocco. It is found in European countries, for example, in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and even in the Balkans.

(lat. Locusta migratoria)- a rather large insect: the body length of mature males is from 3.5 to 5 cm, in females it ranges from 4-6 cm. The color of the Asian locust varies in several colors: there are individuals of bright green, brownish, yellow-green or gray. The wings are almost colorless, except for a slightly pronounced smoky tint and the finest black veins. The thighs of the hind legs are dark brown or blue-black, the lower legs may be beige, reddish or yellow. The habitat of this type of locust covers the entire territory of Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, the countries of North Africa, the region of Northern China and Korea. The Asian locust also lives in the south of Russia, is found in the Caucasus, in the mountains of Kazakhstan, and in the south of Western Siberia.

(lat.Schistocerca gregaria) – an insect with enough large sizes– females reach a size of 8 cm, males are slightly smaller – 6 cm in length. The color of the desert locust is dirty yellow, the wings are brown, with many veins. The hind limbs are bright yellow. This type of locust prefers to live in the tropics and subtropics: it is found in North Africa, on the Arabian Peninsula, on the territory of Hindustan and the border regions of the Sahara.

Italian locust or Prus Italianus (lat. Calliptamus italicus). The body of an adult locust of this species is medium in size: in males, the body length varies from 1.4 to 2.8 cm, females can reach 4 cm in length. The wings are powerful, highly developed, with sparse veins. The colors of individuals are multifaceted: brick-red, brown, brown, sometimes pale pink tones predominate in the color. Light longitudinal stripes and whitish spots are often visible on the main background. The hind wings and thighs of the hind limbs are pinkish, the tibiae are red or whitish, with transverse stripes of black or dark brown. The habitat of the Italian locust covers almost the entire Mediterranean zone and a significant part of Western Asia. The Italian locust lives in central Europe and Western Siberia, and lives in Altai, Iran and Afghanistan.

Rainbow Locust (lat. Phymateus saxosus)- a type of locust that lives on the island of Madagascar. Incredibly bright in color and very poisonous, the rainbow locust reaches a size of 7 cm. The entire body of the insect shimmers with the most different colors– from bright yellow to purple, blue and red, and saturated with toxins. They are produced due to the fact that locusts feed exclusively on poisonous plants. Typically, large populations of this species of locust are found in the foliage of trees or in thickets of milkweed, the juice of which is a favorite delicacy of the rainbow locust.

Siberian filly (lat. Gomphocerus sibiricus)- an insect of brown-brown, olive or grey-green color. The size of an adult female does not exceed 2.5 cm, males are rarely larger than 2.3 cm. The habitat is very wide: the Siberian filly lives in the mountainous areas of Central Asia and the Caucasus, is found in Mongolia and northeast China, and feels comfortable in northern regions of Russia, in particular in Siberia and northern Kazakhstan. The insect causes widespread damage to grain crops, pastures and hayfields.

Egyptian filly (lat. Anacridium aegyptium)- one of the most large species locusts living in Europe. Females grow up to 6.5-7 cm in length, males are somewhat more modest in size - 30-55 mm. The color of the insect can be gray, light brown or greenish-olive. Hind legs of blue color, and the thighs are bright orange, with distinctive black markings. The eyes of the Egyptian filly always have pronounced black and white stripes. This type of locust lives in the Middle East, in European countries, in North Africa.

Blue-winged filly (lat. Oedipoda caerulescens)- medium-sized locusts: the length of an adult female is 2.2-2.8 cm, the male is slightly smaller - 1.5-2.1 cm in length. The filly's wings are very spectacular - bright blue at the base, becoming colorless towards the top. Along the surface of the graceful wings runs beautiful drawing, consisting of the thinnest radial stripes of black color. The tibiae of the hind limbs are bluish in color and covered with light spines. The blue-winged filly is widespread in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of Eurasia, lives in the Caucasus and Central Asia, and is found in Western Siberia and China.

Locusts belong to the category of Orthoptera and are considered to be quite large insects. Since ancient times, it has posed a threat to cultivated crops. A swarm of locusts could destroy all the land and doom people to starvation. Its description is found in the Bible, the works of ancient Egyptian scientists, the Koran and the works of the Middle Ages.

The locust's body is elongated, from 5 to 20 cm long., with bent hind legs that are much longer than the front ones. The insect has hard elytra that cover the barely visible transparent wings. The wings are sometimes covered with various patterns. Locusts have small antennae that are smaller than those of a cricket or grasshopper.

Her head is big and her eyes too. Locusts make a characteristic sound, reminiscent of chirping, it is made In a similar way: Males have special notches that are located on the hips, they also have thickenings on the elytra. When these parts rub, a sound of different tones appears. It flies very quickly: a flock of insects can fly about 120 kilometers in a day.

The color of an insect does not depend on congenital factors, influences him environment. Individuals from the same offspring, but living in different conditions, may have different colors. In addition, the color depends on the locust's lifestyle. For example, if a female or male leads a solitary existence, then its color may be green, gray, yellow or brown. Also during this period they have pronounced gender differences. When an insect switches to a gregarious lifestyle, it becomes the same as everyone else, and sexual dimorphism disappears. Photo of locusts:

Differences from grasshopper

To an uninformed person, locusts may look like grasshoppers. However, it has considerable differences: the first belongs to the locust family, suborder of the short-whiskered ones, the second belongs to the grasshopper family, suborder of the long-whiskered ones. Other differences:

1. The grasshopper has longer whiskers and legs.
2. Grasshopper - predatory insect, locusts are herbivores. However, there are times when locusts can eat a weakened fellow.
3. The locust is active during the day, the grasshopper at night.
4. The locust causes enormous damage to agriculture, while the grasshopper is absolutely harmless.
5. Locusts lay eggs in the soil or leaves. Grasshoppers lay eggs in the bark of trees or in the stems of plants.

Moroccan and Asian migratory

The body size of the Moroccan locust does not exceed 3 cm. Mature individuals are reddish-brown in color, with small dark spots scattered throughout the body. The hind legs are yellowish or pink in the thigh area and red elsewhere. Despite its miniature size, this species causes considerable damage to agricultural fields, destroying crops.

The Moroccan locust gathers in huge hordes and terrorizes the fields of Africa, Central Asia, the arid regions of Libya and Egypt, as well as some European countries: France, Portugal, Spain and Italy. In rare cases it is found on the Balkan Peninsula.

The migratory locust differs from the Moroccan locust in size: its body length ranges from 3.5 to 6 cm. Coloring varies: bright green, brown, yellow-green, grayish. The wings have almost no color other than a slight smoky tint. The hind legs are dark brown or gray-black in the upper part. At the bottom they are beige, yellowish or pink.

This insect lives throughout Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, northern Africa, China and Korea. It can also be found in southern regions Russia, Kazakhstan and the Caucasus.

Italian Prussian and Desert Species

The Italian locust has medium dimensions: the body length of a male can be from 1.5 cm to 3 cm, a female can be up to 4 cm long. The locust has powerful and developed wings with small veins. The colors are varied: red, brick-like, brown, brown, pink. Often light stripes and white spots appear against the general background.

The hind wings and legs are pinkish in the upper part, pink or white in the lower leg area, with gray or dark brown stripes stretching across the limb. The Italian locust lives throughout almost the entire Mediterranean and most of Western Asia. It also occurs in central Europe, western Siberia, Altai, Iraq and Afghanistan.

The desert or African locust is a long insect: females are 8 cm, males are not so huge - 6 cm. In Latin, its name sounds like Schisticerca gregaria. It belongs to the genus Shestotserki, the family Acrididae. Desert locusts destroy crops in the fields of Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

Rainbow type and Siberian filly

Rainbow locusts live in Madagascar. Even the name itself speaks of its incredible color, which shimmers in different colors - from poisonous yellow to lilac, red and bluish. The body reaches a size of 7 cm and is saturated with toxins. They appear due to the fact that this species consumes poisonous plants. Most often, large populations live in the foliage of trees or in milkweed bushes, which are the insect's favorite food.

The Siberian filly (lat. Gomphocerus sibiricus) belongs to the family Acrididae and has a brown, chestnut, olive or gray-blue body shade. An adult female has a body of 26 mm, males - no more than 24 mm. Habitats are numerous: mountainous areas of Asia, the Caucasus, sometimes in Mongolia and northern China, found in northern regions Russia and Kazakhstan. The Siberian grasshopper causes enormous damage to grain crops, pastures and hayfields.

Egyptian and Bluewing

The female Egyptian filly is one of the largest species of locust and grows up to 70 mm, the males are somewhat more modest - 30-50 mm. The insect has a gray, light brown and greenish color. The tibiae of the hind legs are blue, the thighs are orange, with dark spots. The locust's eyes have black and white stripes. The Egyptian filly is found in the Middle East, northern Africa and Europe.

Blue-winged filly - insect standard sizes, having Latin name Oedipoda caerulescens. Body length female reaches 28 mm, male - 21 mm. Distinctive feature The wings of this species are very beautiful: they are blue below, and colorless closer to the top.

The surface of the beautiful wings has a pattern that consists of dark-colored ray stripes. The tibiae are bluish, covered with small spines. This locust is found in the forest-steppes of Europe, the Caucasus region, Central Asia, Siberia and the territory of the People's Republic of China.

Habitat and diet

These insects can be found on almost any continent, not including those that are too cold. Locusts can be seen in almost all climatic zones starting from the subtropics and tropics, and ending with the territory of Western Siberia.

Some species prefer to live in dense thickets near water bodies. Others settle in deserts and semi-deserts among rocks with small bushes and grass.

Solitary insects that live in only one place feed little. One individual is capable of eating about 320 grams of vegetation in its entire life. However, once she joins a flock, her behavior begins to change. During the invasion, the darkness of locusts becomes omnivorous and destroys everything in its path. All vegetation is eaten: reeds, reeds, cultivated crops, fruit plots, grape plantations and even thatched roofs of houses. During a hungry period or long flights, the flock eats weakened insects.

Reproduction and development stages

Locusts have three stages of development - egg, larva, and adult insect. Locusts breed in tropical regions all year round, in temperate climates - only in summer. IN autumn period the female lays eggs, which are in a protective sac in fallen leaves or directly in the ground. One bag can store up to 110 eggs, and 1 square meter area can store 2 thousand bags. After the eggs have been laid, the individuals die.