The locust, grasshopper and cricket are all three edible insects of the order Orthoptera, equipped with wings that they carry along their back and particularly muscular hind legs that allow them to jump. A few differences help distinguish them.
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[EN VIDÉO] India engulfed in billions of locusts Billions of locusts have invaded the state of Rajasthan in India. Coming from Pakistan, they swept through the residential areas of the capital Jaipur, forcing residents to take refuge in their homes. The quality of the images is unfortunately not exceptional but they remain incredible!
To distinguish a cricket of one Grasshopper or a cricketimpossible to trust his color. There are both green grasshoppers and gray grasshoppers and vice versa. The size is not necessarily significant either. There are, in fact, several thousand species of grasshoppers, locusts and crickets, whose characteristics may vary.
Also be aware that crickets, grasshoppers and even locusts are insects singers. In the first two, it is the males that emit sounds by rubbing their wings against each other. In the cricket, the female also sings. And the sounds are produced by the friction of the legs against the wings.
The locust is exclusively herbivorous. The Grasshoppermeanwhile, is omnivorous or carnivorous and the cricket is omnivorous or scavenger.
The locust has short antennae
The first visual element that distinguishes cricket on one side and cricket and Grasshopper on the other are the antennae. The first belongs, in the order of Orthoptera – which means “straight wings” – to the suborder of Caelifera, whose members have short and thick antennae. Crickets and grasshoppers are ensifers: they have long, thin antennae.
Differences between crickets and grasshoppers: legs, tails, wings…
It now remains to differentiate between crickets and grasshoppers. First by the color, possibly, because there is no cricket with a green body. The hind legs of the latter are also very far from the body. In addition, crickets present, at the end of their abdomentwo cerci — two clearly visible points — quite characteristic.
As for the crickets’ wings, they are placed flat on their back while those of grasshoppers are on the side of the body. Finally, crickets tend to flee the Sun ; some are even nocturnal. If they can jump, however, they prefer to hide in burrows.
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