Grasshoppers are insects of the class orthoptera. They have a typical insect body plan eating vegetation from multi plant sources. Grasshoppers have a typical insect nervous system and have an extensive set of external sense organs. There are also three simple eyes on the forehead which can detect light intensity, a pair of antennae containing olfactory (smell) and touch receptors, and mouth parts containing gustatory (taste) receptors.
Grasshoppers lay their eggs in pods in the ground near food plants, generally in the summer. After laying the eggs, the female covers the hole with soil and litter.
Grasshoppers have a wide range of predators at different stages of their life-cycle. Eggs are eaten by bee-flies, ground beetles and blister beetles. Hoppers and adults are taken by predators including other insects such as ants, robber flies and wasps; spiders; many birds; and small mammals.
