CATDOLL : CATDOLL: Are locusts and grasshoppers the same thing?

Are locusts and grasshoppers the same thing?

All insects in the superfamily Acridoidea can be called locusts. The superfamily Acridoidea includes 8 families. The grasshoppers we usually call are mainly locusts in the family Acridoidea and locusts in the genus Nematode in the family Acridoidea. (The classification levels used above are from large to small: superfamily-family-genus) Simply put: locusts cover a wide range, and grasshoppers are some groups of locusts. Locusts and grasshoppers are not scientific names, but common names, but the name of grasshopper is more popular and not used in academia. The name of locust is more recognized and can be used in academia, and it is clear that it is an insect in the superfamily Acridoidea. Note: I am an insect major.

There is no difference, it refers to the same species. Locusts are also known as "grasshoppers", "grass moths", "grasshoppers", and "grasshoppers".

What kind of insect is a locust?

Locusts are extremely numerous and have strong vitality. They can live in a variety of places. They are most common in mountainous areas, forests, low-lying areas, semi-arid areas, and grasslands.

Most of them are important pests of crops. They may break out in large numbers during severe droughts, causing disasters to nature and humans.

The larvae can only jump, while the adults can fly and jump. They mostly feed on plants.

The grasshoppers that people often talk about (in a few places, they are all called grasshoppers regardless of size) are just the larvae of locusts, not a separate species.

There is another common insect, grasshopper, also known as grasshopper, also known as grasshopper in northern China, belongs to invertebrate, Insecta, Orthoptera, Acrididae, Tetrigoidea. Commonly known as pole hook, it is often confused with locust larvae.

Herbivorous. They like to eat thick leaves, such as sweet potatoes, water spinach, cabbage, etc.

Every summer and autumn is the breeding season. After mating, the female locust inserts the ovipositor into the soil 10 cm deep and lays about 50 eggs. When laying eggs, the female will secrete a white substance to form a cylindrical plug, and then lay the eggs.

The development process of locusts is relatively complicated (as shown in the picture). Its life absolutely starts from the fertilized egg. The larvae that have just hatched from the eggs have no wings and can jump, and are called "jumping nymphs". The morphology and living habits of jumping nymphs are similar to those of adults, but the body is smaller and the reproductive organs are not fully developed. Insects in this form are also called "nymphs". Nymphs gradually grow up, and when they are restricted by the exoskeleton and cannot grow any further, they shed their original exoskeleton, which is called molting. Nymphs molt 5 times in their lifetime. From egg hatching to the first molting, it is the first instar, and each subsequent molting increases the instar by 1. After the third instar, the wing buds are prominent. After the fifth instar, they become adults that can fly. It can be seen that the individual development process of locusts goes through three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Such a development process is called incomplete metamorphosis.

The entire individual development history of an insect from a fertilized egg to an adult and capable of producing offspring is called a generation. In some areas of China, locusts can produce two generations of summer locusts and autumn locusts in a year, so there are two eras. At around 24°C, locust eggs can hatch in about 21 days. The hatched nymphs crawl out of the soil. At this time, their appearance is very similar to that of adults, but they have no wings and their body color is lighter. The larvae look more like adults in the first one or two instars, but their heads and bodies are disproportionate. In the third instar, wing buds grow, which are already very obvious in the fourth instar. In the fifth instar, the nymphs are already mature and will crawl onto plants after feeding for a few days, with their bodies hanging down. After waiting for a period of time, the adults will emerge.

Locusts go through three developmental stages in their life: fertilized egg, nymph and adult.

Locusts are herbivorous insects, feeding on plant parts and rotting fruit.