The abundance of insects during the summer period always blows the mind. Many do not even think that millions of various living beings live in a grass. Some seem absolutely identical, but it absolutely not so. For example, the grasshopper and a locust are externally very similar, but by close examination it is possible to see that they have many distinctions.
Grasshopper and locust: differences in behaviorAs a rule, grasshoppers lead a single life, they never gather and do not unite for survival. Also they differ in the fact that lay eggs in the certain way in bark of trees or in a crack in fences and columns.
The locust lays eggs directly to the soil, on one egg or small groups on 3-4 eggs.
The locust has unique ability to switch from lonely life to gregarious existence. While conditions are favorable and she is able to find enough food, this insect prefers to live in loneliness. However after their power supply decreases and runs low, the locust is forced to come into close contact to the relatives.
Grasshopper and locust: differences in foodGrasshoppers eat smaller insects, that is they are omnivorous predators. With hunting they are helped by the structure of their front legs and camouflage color of a trunk. The locust, unlike a grasshopper, eats only plants. When the locust is in a swarm, it is capable to travel of long distances at high speeds. So, in 1954 the swarm of these insects arrived from the northwest of Africa to Great Britain. Three decades later, in 1988, the swarm of a locust took off from the Western Africa and reached the Caribbean Region. These insects overcame 5000 km in only 10 days. The locust eats an equivalent of body weight in day therefore when the swarm is formed, he is capable to destroy a huge number of vegetation on the way. For agriculture it can have catastrophic consequences.
Grasshopper and locust: external distinctionsGrasshoppers most often are green color as the environment of their dwelling is vegetation. It helps them to mask and attack smaller insects better. Besides, grasshoppers have the mobile head with quite sharp jaws. The size and the structure of their body allows them to jump well, they have massive hind legs and short lobbies that makes them good hunters. If you do not know who you before you – a grasshopper or a locust, look at short moustaches of an insect. If they thin and very long is a grasshopper.
Despite distinctions, the locust and a grasshopper belong to one group – Orthoptera.
The locust has the extended oblong body of usually brown or yellow coloring. However these insects are both green, and brown, and gray. They have short short moustaches, it is no more than head. Forepaws of a locust weaker, than at a grasshopper. It uses them as a support at movement. Hinder legs of this insect are shorter and stronger that gives the chance to a locust to make long jumps.