Grasshopper

Romalea microptera

• Dorn terror ( Tetrigidae )
• Grave terror ( Tridactylidae )
• Grasshoppers ( Acrididae )
• Cone head horror ( Pyrgomorphidae )
• Stone terror ( Pamphagidae )

The Grasshopper ( caelifera ) are one of the two suborders of locusts. There are about 10,000 species described until now. In Central Europe, about 100 species occur.

• 3.2.1 Family of thorn terror ( Tetrigidae )

• 3.3.1 Family of grave terror ( Tridactylidae )

Description

The body length of the animals is 7-75 mm, the type Tropidacris cristata can be up to 120 mm long and can reach a wingspan of up to 230 mm. Almost all Grasshopper are herbivores and feed primarily on grasses and herbs. The small punch terror ( Tetrigoidea ) have specialized largely on algae, mosses and microorganisms.

As the representative of the long horned crickets have the Grasshopper a very striking transformation of the hind legs to jump legs. Other features of the Grasshopper are the eponymous short antennas, to those of the long horned crickets from a maximum of 30 links which in contrast and are sometimes thickened club-shaped. The animals have compound eyes and chewing biting mouth parts. Especially the first thoracic segment, is strongly developed. The forewings of the animals are narrow and harden and cover the larger rear wing in the rest position. The hind wings may be conspicuously colored blue or red in some species such as the wasteland of terror. To lay their eggs, the eggs are often buried in the ground, the abdomen of the female is fitted telescopically extendable and with two pairs of strong genital spines ( ovipositor - Valven ). The auditory organs of the Grasshopper can be found on the sides of the first abdominal segment.

Sound production at the Grasshopper

The majority of the world's species of Grasshopper is noiseless and displays during courtship optical signals, such as colorful hind legs, antennae or wings. Some species are able to produce sounds, especially in Central Europe widespread Gomphocerinae ( grasshoppers ) and Oedipodinae ( wasteland of terror ). On the basis of these songs can be the types distinguished. Some species groups ( such as indigenous to South Africa Pneumoridae ) produce very loud chants. In some groups, the hind legs are rubbed on the forewing veins in the generation of noise. This requires either the legs ( Gomphocerinae ) or a wing vein ( Oedipodinae ) with teeth, and the other side are often equipped with a sharp edge. In addition to these Stridulationsgeräuschen other noises occur, as fly buzz, drums to the rear or middle legs or mandibles by the noise generated as they are, for example, the Italian Beautifully cricket ( Calliptamus italicus ) by itself. The song of the male is mainly used for partner determination. In some species, the female is able to utter a response vocals. In many species, several types of singing males occur. The normal singing is the attraction of females. The advertising song is uttered near a female, and is often much quieter than the normal song. In addition, frequently occurs also a rival song, which is expressed in the presence of other males. Some species also produce a " Anspringlaut " directly before mating. Despite the specificity of the cicadas songs, it occasionally also to mismatch between species with similar songs.

Nomenclature of Grasshopper

Besides the known grasshoppers of the genus Chorthippus, Omocestus and Stenobothrus can be found in the family of grasshoppers and the infamous locusts as the desert locust ( Schistocerca gregaria ) and the European migratory locust ( Locusta migratoria ), but only a very small proportion of the high biodiversity of the group provide. However, locusts are a taxonomic group, but can be found in various families and subfamilies of Acrididae. Additional information is found in this family Valanga irregularis and Heteropternis obscurella, two in Australia, widespread species.

The following classification lists to family level all and beyond the main species occurring in Central Europe Grasshopper.

Subordination Acridoidea

Family of grasshoppers ( Acrididae )

• Grass terror - Acridinae Ordinary nose cricket - Acrida ungarica

• Italian Beautifully cricket - Calliptamus italicus
• Alpine Mountain Locust - Miramella alpina
• Ordinary Mountain Locust - Podisma pedestris

• Egyptian Locust - Anacridium aegyptium ( introduced )

• Rotflüglige Schnarr cricket - Psophus stridulus
• Horses Insect - Celes variabilis
• Blue -winged grasshopper - Oedipoda caerulescens
• Rotflügelige grasshopper - Oedipoda germanica
• Spotted Schnarr cricket Bryodemella tuberculata
• Blue-winged grasshopper sand - Sphingonotus caerulans
• European Locust - Locusta migratoria
• Green beach cricket - Aiolopus thalassinus
• River - beach -cricket - Epacromius tergestinus
• Marsh Grasshopper - Stethophyma grossum
• Leek Grasshopper - Mecostethus parapleurus

• Large bump -cricket - Arcyptera fusca
• Small bumps cricket - Arcyptera microptera
• Spotted club cricket - Myrmeleotettix maculatus
• Red club cricket - Gomphocerippus rufus
• Siberian club cricket - Gomphocerus sibiricus
• Large gold -cricket - Chrysochraon dispar
• Small gold -cricket - Euthystira brachyptera
• Swiss gold -cricket - Podismopsis keisti
• Mountain grasshopper - Stauroderus scalaris
• Field grasshopper - Chorthippus apricarius
• Steppe grasshopper - Chorthippus vagans
• Gravel - grasshopper - Chorthippus pullus
• Nightingale grasshopper - Chorthippus biguttulus
• Brown grasshopper - Chorthippus brunneus
• Unrecognized grasshopper - Chorthippus mollis
• Weißrandiger grasshopper - Chorthippus albomarginatus
• Meadow grasshopper - Chorthippus dorsatus
• Marsh grasshopper - Chorthippus montanus
• Common grasshopper - Chorthippus parallelus
• Colorful grasshopper - Omocestus viridulus
• Buntbäuchiger grasshopper - Omocestus rufipes
• Rotleibiger grasshopper - Omocestus haemorrhoidalis
• Schwarzfleckiger grasshopper - Stenobothrus nigromaculatus
• Heath grasshopper - Stenobothrus lineatus
• Small heath grasshopper - Stenobothrus stigmaticus
• Dwarf grasshopper - Stenobothrus crassipes

Subordination Tetrigoidea

The Thorn terror ( Tetrigidae ) occur with six species in Central Europe. Typical of this group of species of the aft extended pronotum ( pronotum ), the abdomen and wings is protected. Until recently, this group was considered to be noiseless. However, it has been shown in recent studies that the species produce vibrations by drumming with the middle legs. During mating but mainly optical signals are used.

Family of thorn terror ( Tetrigidae )

• Saber -spine -cricket - Tetrix subulata
• Western thorn Grasshopper - Tetrix ceperoi
• Türk's thorn -cricket - Tetrix Turkish
• Common buckthorn Grasshopper - Tetrix undulata
• Long horned grasshopper -spine - Tetrix tenuicornis
• Two spot - thorn -cricket - Tetrix bipunctata

Subordination Tridactyloidea

Family of grave terror ( Tridactylidae )

In Central Europe, there are only two species of this group, both in the south of Switzerland and Austria. The most common type is mortgage Jewellers grave cricket ( XYA pfaendleri ). In the Mediterranean region there is, for example XYA variegata, who lives in self-dug caves near the shore and feeds on algae.