Grasshopper exoskeletons are made of chitin, a protein-rich substance. The hoppers excrete the chitin onto their bodies and when it dries, it’s like an armor. This fibrous shield is epic! It helps prevent water loss, protects grasshoppers from damage and disease, and serves as structural support for muscles. Grasshoppers are warriors!
Using their mouthparts to chew, grasshoppers feed on plant tissues and are considered herbivorous insects. They have two pairs of wings and long hind legs for jumping. No wonder they can jump high and travel such long distances. Las Vegas was invaded by 46 million grasshoppers a few years ago!
Grasshopper babies are called nymphs and they look like tiny grasshoppers without wings.
Most grasshoppers molt five times as they grow and during this process they are forming their hard skin again and become very vulnerable to predators. This is the time they are the most scared of being attacked. They seek out protective spots to slip out of their ghostly exoskeletons, then wait until their new, soft bodysuit hardens like plastic again. Fascinating!
Grasshoppers prefer to hide when changing their clothes, just like me.
