A Precise Explanation of the Life Cycle of a Grasshopper, Animal Sake

The life cycle of grasshoppers covers three major stages, the eggs, the nymphs, and the adults. Each stage has a different shape, set of abilities, and role in the ecosystem. By the time a grasshopper reaches adulthood, it has already been alive for about eleven months.

Grasshoppers, also known as short-horned grasshoppers, are insects belonging to the order Orthoptera and suborder Caelifera. They are brown or green in color, with dark spots on their body. There are approximately 11,000 species of grasshoppers. All of them are herbivores and generally feed on plants. Some species eat only grass. While these insects are seen most often in autumn, they are also spotted in spring and summer.

Description and Population

Grasshoppers are flying insects that have two pairs of wings: the fore wings and the hind wings. The fore wings are narrow and leathery, while the hind wings are larger and membranous. Other notable features include strong, big hind legs (used for jumping) and short antennae with 20-24 segments, which are shorter than their body length.

Female grasshoppers are usually larger than males. Females also have two pairs of triangular structures called valves at the end of the abdomen, which they use to dig into sand during egg laying. Male grasshoppers have a single unpaired plate instead.

Grasshoppers are considered destructive pests by farmers because their population can explode under the right weather conditions. Infestation is heavily influenced by climate. The population is expected to be highest in areas where the weather is cool in early spring, followed by warm and dry conditions in late spring. Summer temperatures should also be high, with enough rainfall for uninterrupted growth of the young. On the contrary, a hot spring season and low summer temperatures lead to a population decline.

Life Cycle: Detailed Info

In general, reproduction takes place in early summer. During mating, the male grasshopper deposits a spermatophore (a packet containing sperm) into the ovipositor of the female, which is located at the abdomen. The ovipositor, or egg placer, is the organ used for laying eggs. It is relatively short but stronger than that of other insects in the same group. As the sperm reach the eggs via the micropyle, fertilization occurs. The three successive stages of the grasshopper life cycle follow.

Egg Stage

Macro photograph of a grasshopper egg pod showing a cluster of pale rice-shaped eggs in a foam casing just below the soil surface — A grasshopper egg pod holds 10-300 rice-shaped eggs sealed in a hardened foam casing about 1-2 inches underground. They stay dormant all autumn and winter before hatching in spring.

The life cycle of grasshoppers starts with the egg stage. By mid-summer, the female grasshopper lays the fertilized eggs either underneath the sand (about 1-2 inches deep) or among leaf litter. Right after depositing the eggs with the ovipositor, she sprays a sticky substance over them that hardens and forms egg pods. There are usually more than ten egg pods, and each one contains about 10-300 rice-shaped eggs.

The eggs remain dormant through autumn and winter, for almost ten months. When spring or early summer arrives and the temperature warms up, the eggs hatch into nymphs.

Nymph Stage

Side-by-side comparison of a small pale wingless grasshopper nymph and a fully grown winged adult grasshopper on the same leaf — Left: a young first-instar nymph, small, pale, and wingless. Right: a fully developed adult with complete wings. Nymphs go through 5-6 molts over 25-30 days to make this transformation.

Immediately after hatching, the young nymphs (called first instar nymphs) start feeding on soft and succulent plant leaves. Nymphs look like miniature versions of adult grasshoppers, except they are lighter in color and do not have wings. Nymphs go through 5-6 molts, changing their form and structure, before becoming adults. The nymph stage may last 5-10 days per instar, based on the species and the weather, especially temperature and humidity. As the nymphs molt, their size increases and wing pads gradually develop on the thorax.

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Adult Stage

After 25-30 days, the wings are fully developed and the nymphs become adults. By this point (counting from egg) the grasshopper is about eleven months old. Adults gain sexual maturity within 15 days and survive for about 30 days. Because adults have wings, they are far more mobile than nymphs, which helps them find food and escape predators. Even so, every stage of the grasshopper's life has its own set of natural enemies.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many stages are in a grasshopper's life cycle?

Three, egg, nymph, and adult. This is called incomplete metamorphosis.

How long does the nymph stage last?

The nymph stage lasts about 25-30 days in total, during which the nymph molts 5-6 times and gradually grows wings.

How long do grasshoppers live?

The total lifespan of a grasshopper is about 12 months from egg to death.

Where do grasshoppers lay their eggs?

Female grasshoppers lay eggs about 1-2 inches underground in soil or sand, or among leaf litter, covering them with a sticky substance that hardens into an egg pod.

The total lifespan of a grasshopper is about 12 months. Studies have found that the survival rate of nymphs after hatching is about 50 percent, since birds, rodents, and lizards eat a large number of them. This is why grasshoppers play a major role in ecosystems: they provide food for many predators in the food chain. A swarm (also known as locusts) can cause severe damage to crops, affecting yield dramatically.

Term	Meaning
Ovipositor	The egg-laying organ at the tip of a female grasshopper's abdomen. The word means "egg placer" in Latin. The female uses it to dig into soil and deposit her eggs underground.
Nymph	A young grasshopper that has hatched but is not yet an adult. Nymphs look like small adults but lack fully-developed wings. They go through 5-6 molts before becoming adults.
Instar	The developmental stage between two molts. A "first instar nymph" has just hatched; a "sixth instar" is just about to become an adult. Each instar brings the nymph closer to full size and winged flight.
Spermatophore	A packet of sperm transferred from a male grasshopper to the female during mating. The sperm travel through the micropyle (a tiny pore) to fertilize the eggs inside the female.
Incomplete Metamorphosis	A type of insect development with only three stages: egg, nymph, and adult, with no pupa stage in between. Grasshoppers are a classic example. Butterflies, by contrast, go through complete metamorphosis: egg, larva, pupa, adult.
Micropyle	A tiny pore or opening on the surface of a grasshopper egg that allows the sperm to enter and fertilize the egg. The word comes from Greek, meaning "small gate."

A Precise Explanation of the Life Cycle of a Grasshopper

Description and Population