Grasshoppers and crickets treat numerous and ancient group of Orthoptera which contains about 20 thousand types. Representatives of this group can be found out almost on all continents, in different climatic zones of the globe, behind an exception unless, polar and mountain areas. About 750 species of Orthoptera of insects live in Russia. One of features of their jumping representatives - ability to perceive and reproduce sounds.
"In a grass the grasshopper sat..."Grasshopper – a predatory insect. In the afternoon he hides in the shelter, and hunts at night. Watches for production, sitting on leaves of bushes or on low growing branches of trees. Eats small insects. If there are not enough insects, can pass to a vegetable diet. Jumps seldom, moves on all fours more often.
Body at a grasshopper extended, oblong, bright green or gray coloring. Head and eyes of an oval form. The "muzzle" extended. Back extremities long, prygatelny type. Rigid wing sheaths, at the types living in a grass – long and narrow. At forest grasshoppers wider.
Distinguish his very long mustache from other Orthoptera of a grasshopper. Sometimes they exceed length of a body of an insect 4 times. By means of such mustache antennas the grasshopper catches any, even the most insignificant movement. One more feature of a grasshopper - his powerful jaws. He is enough with front extremities and holds production, and then breaks off it and eats. It is capable even to bite through skin of the person.
"Behind the oven the cricket sings..." Cricket – one more representative of group of Orthoptera. Two main types field and house are widely known. Length of a body of a field cricket - up to 2.9 cm. The round head, wing sheaths short, glossy-black with orange spots in the basis. Lives in the soil, digs the courses and minks or occupies already ready. Cricket very much territorialen. He jealously protects the possession and has very pugnacious character. Duels between males are not rare. Sometimes they come to an end with death of weaker opponent. In this case the winner eats defeated though generally crickets prefer vegetable food.
Interesting detail: the fighting cricket first of all tries to bite off the rival's short mustache. Scientists noticed – the male who lost a short mustache becomes some kind of derelict.
House cricket – one of representatives of synanthropic insects, i.e. living together with people. A house cricket brown or yellow with brown spots. On the head a dark strip. Short wing sheaths, with orange spots at the basis. In the summer of a cricket it is possible to see in the forest or on a meadow, and for the winter he moves to human houses. It is very thermophilic. The favourite habitat in rural houses – a crack somewhere behind the oven. Can live also in thermal insulation of heating systems of modern apartment houses. In the afternoon he hides, and bypasses the territory at night. Omnivorous. Eats crumbs from a table, various waste, destroys cockroach posterity.
According to scientists, crickets are very sensitive to temperature fluctuations and answer them with change of a rhythm of "songs". The interesting detail – the is more senior an insect, the his trills are more melodious.
House cricket absolutely harmless insect. He is not a carrier of any diseases, and the only harm done to people – its loud night concerts to which not everyone is capable to get used.