27 Grasshopper Facts, Symbolism And You

After being gone from social media for almost two weeks, I’m returning with a post on grasshoppers. Has it felt like I’ve been gone that long? Did you miss me or did you not even notice that I had disappeared from your computer or phone?

Anyway, I have a few things to tell you about grasshoppers.

Grasshoppers?

Yep, grasshoppers.

27 Facts About Grasshoppers

Let’s start this fantastically interesting post with some facts about grasshoppers. Of course, if you skim these facts too fast, you may miss some very important information. Life changing information.

Piqued your interest?

1. Grasshoppers scientific genus name is Melanoplus. Try saying that five times real fast. Melanoplus, Melanoplus, Melanoplus, Melanoplus, Platypus. LOL

2. There are many, many different types of grasshoppers. From everything I read, there are about 20,000 different species of grasshoppers and more are being discovered each year. Some of the most common types and names of grasshoppers include:
   1. Short-horned Grasshopper
   2. Long-horned Grasshopper
   3. Northern Grasshopper
   4. Spur-throat Grasshopper
   5. St. Johns Short-wing Grasshopper
   6. Alpine Grasshopper
   7. Narrow-winged Sand Grasshopper
   8. Pasture Grasshopper
   9. Devastating Grasshopper
   10. Red-legged Grasshopper
   11. Kennicott Grasshopper
   12. Nevada Sage Grasshopper
   13. Stone’s Grasshopper
   14. Green-legged Grasshopper
   15. Snakeweed Grasshopper
   16. Cudweed Grasshopper
   17. Striped Sand Grasshopper
   18. Largeheaded Grasshopper

   Obviously, the list would continue for quite a long length, but this gives you a sample of some of the names of grasshoppers that I thought were interesting.

3. A grasshopper is an insect. Like other insects, grasshoppers have a three-part body which includes a head, thorax and abdomen. They also have six jointed legs, two pairs of wings, and two antennae.

4. Grasshoppers have five eyes! Three of the eyes are on top the grasshopper’s head and only distinguish light and dark. The other two eyes are compound eyes and are quite large. Each of the compound eyes are made up of thousands of tiny eyes that all face a different direction. I think all human parents need this type of eyes. LOL

5. Grasshoppers bleed green. Hemolymph is the substance that is like our blood and when exposed to air is a green color.

6. Grasshoppers don’t have lungs. A grasshopper breathes through a series of holes called spiracles that are located along the sides of the body in their thoraxes and abdomens.

7. Most grasshoppers have long hind legs that are used for making music and hopping while the short front legs are used to hold prey and walk.

8. Some of the biggest grasshoppers are five inches long.

9. When grasshoppers move in swarms they are called locusts.

10. The life span of a grasshopper is about fifty days.

11. Grasshoppers do not have ears.

12. Grasshoppers hear with an organ called tympanum.

13. Grasshoppers are good at detecting rhythm, but don’t distinguish pitches very well.

14. Grasshoppers make noises by stridulating (rubbing the hind leg against the wing) and crepitating (snapping the wing in flight).

15. Different species of grasshopper have distinct identifying rhythms.

16. When short-horned male grasshoppers sing it is to attract females or to warn off other males.

17. Grasshoppers can fly.

18. Grasshoppers jump by catapulting themselves into the air. I won’t even tell you the crazy vision this gave me in my mind. LOL

19. A small cuticle in a grasshopper’s knee acts like a spring and catapults the grasshopper into the air.

20. The northern grasshopper can leap twenty times the length of his body. That would be the same as a six foot tall man jumping 120 feet. That’s a piece of cake! LOL

21. Grasshoppers can only jump forward! They can’t jump backward or sideways.

22. Worldwide, grasshoppers cause billions of dollars in damage to food crops annually.

23. Short-horned grasshoppers are herbivores which means they eat only plants and dandelions are among their favorite type of plant.

24. Most long-horned grasshoppers eat plants, but some eat the remains of dead animals and other insects.

25. People in many parts of the world eat grasshoppers for their protein.

26. Eating insects is called entomophagy. Oh yum!

27. As a defense mechanism, grasshoppers spit a brown liquid often called “tobacco juice.”

Grasshopper Symbolism

Grasshoppers are all wrapped up in symbolism and have been a symbolic creature for a very, very, very long time. Some of the words used to describe a grasshopper are:

• Abundance
• Adaptable
• Connected
• Content
• Courageous
• Creativity
• Fertility
• Flexible
• Forward-Thinking
• Happiness
• Health
• Honor
• Ingenuity
• Innovators
• Insightful
• Intuitive
• Joy
• Lucky
• Messenger
• Patient
• Peaceful
• Resourceful
• Stable
• Vibrant
• Virtue
• Wealth

That is quite a positive list!

As I stated above in fact #21, grasshoppers can only jump forward. Grasshoppers can’t jump backward or sideways. Maybe we should glean this important lesson from the grasshopper.

Since the grasshopper is a symbol of your inner voice based on the fact that he has a great understanding of sound vibrations AND he can’t jump backward or sideways, maybe the lesson to learn is quite apparent. No matter what problems you are facing, just keep moving forward and remain tuned into your inner voice. Gather all the information and advice needed, but trust yourself.

Don’t hesitate because you fear the real you.

Be forward-thinking with an eye toward opportunities of success and abundant happiness.

Enjoy the moment now.

Don’t take people, things or experiences for granted.

Find peace within yourself by living a life of honor and virtue.

Eliminate the negative aspects of your life.

Be patient, filled with gratitude and ever mindful of ways that you can give to others.

While you are giving to others, be sure that you are giving for the right reason. Don’t give so that people will like you. Also, don’t keep giving to ungrateful people who are only using you.

That’s a lot of information to be learned from a grasshopper. Maybe a lot of it has to do with the things I’ve been doing during the past two weeks. Yeah, probably so, and maybe I won’t share that with you until tomorrow.