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Orthoptera Fossil range: Carboniferous - Recent
Patanga japonica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Subclass: Pterygota Infraclass: Neoptera (unranked): Exopterygota Superorder: Orthopteroidea Order: Orthoptera Latreille, 1793
Extant suborders and superfamilies
Suborder Ensifera Grylloidea Hagloidea Rhaphidophoroidea Schizodactyloidea Stenopelmatoidea Tettigonioidea Suborder Caelifera Acridoidea Eumastacoidea Pneumoroidea Pyrgomorphoidea Tanaoceroidea Tetrigoidea Tridactyloidea Trigonopterygoidea

The Orthoptera (from the Greek ορθός, orthos = "straight" and πτεрόν, pteron = "wing") are an order of insects with paurometabolous or incomplete metamorphosis, including the grasshoppers, crickets and locusts. Many insects in this order produce sound (known as a "stridulation") by rubbing their wings against each other or their legs, the wings or legs containing rows of corrugated bumps. The tympanum or ear is located in the front tibia in crickets, mole crickets, and katydids. These organisms use vibrations to locate other individuals.

Characteristics

Orthopterans have two pairs of wings; the forewings or tegmina are narrower than the hind wings and hardened at the base. They are held overlapping the abdomen at rest. The hind wing is membranous and held folded fan-like under the forewings when at rest. They have mandibulate mouthparts, large compound eyes, antennae length varies with species. Their saltatorial hind legs are elongated for jumping.

Life cycle

Orthopteroid species have a paurometabolous life cycle or gradual metamorphosis. Most grasshoppers lay their eggs in the ground or on vegetation. The eggs hatch and the young nymphs resemble adults but lack wings and at this stage are often called hoppers. Grasshoppers are able to fold their wings, placing them in the group Neoptera. Through successive moults the nymphs develop wings until their final moult into a mature adult with fully developed wings.

The number of moults varies between species; growth is also very variable and may take a few weeks to some months depending on food availability and weather conditions.

The factual accuracy of part of this article is disputed. The dispute is about Orthoptera as food. Please see the relevant discussion on the talk page before making changes.(September 2008)

Orthoptera as food

The Orthoptera are the only insects considered kosher in Judaism. Although the Bible may be read as stating that all Orthoptera are kosher except those, such as the mole cricket, that do not jump.

Classification

• • Superfamily Hagloidea
    • Haglidae†
    • Hagloedischiidae†
    • Prophalangopsidae
    • Tuphellidae†
  • Superfamily Phasmomimoidea†
    • Phasmomimidae†
  • Superfamily Rhaphidophoroidea
    • Rhaphidophoridae - camel crickets, cave crickets, cave wetas
  • Superfamily Schizodactyloidea
    • Schizodactylidae - dune crickets
  • Superfamily Stenopelmatoidea
    • Anostostomatidae - wetas, king crickets
    • Cooloolidae
    • Gryllacrididae - leaf-rolling crickets
    • Stenopelmatidae - Jerusalem crickets
  • Superfamily Tettigonioidea
    • Haglotettigoniidae†
    • Tettigoniidae - katydids / bush crickets
• Suborder Caelifera - grasshoppers, locusts
  • Infraorder Acrididea
    • Superfamily Acridoidea
      • Acrididae - grasshoppers, locusts
      • Charilaidae
      • Dericorythidae
      • Lathiceridae
      • Lentulidae
      • Lithidiidae
      • Ommexechidae
      • Pamphagidae - toad grasshoppers
      • Pyrgacrididae
      • Romaleidae
      • Tristiridae
    • Superfamily Eumastacoidea
      • Chorotypidae
      • Episactidae
      • Eumastacidae
      • Euschmidtiidae
      • Mastacideidae
      • Morabidae
      • Promastacidae†
      • Proscopiidae
      • Thericleidae
    • Superfamily Locustopsoidea†
      • Araripelocustidae†
      • Bouretidae†
      • Eolocustopsidae†
      • Locustavidae†
      • Locustopsidae†
    • Superfamily Pneumoroidea
      • Pneumoridae - bladder grasshoppers
    • Superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea
      • Pyrgomorphidae - gaudy grasshoppers
    • Superfamily Tanaoceroidea
      • Tanaoceridae
    • Superfamily Tetrigoidea
      • Tetrigidae - grouse locusts
    • Superfamily Trigonopterygoidea
      • Trigonopterygidae
      • Xyronotidae
  • Infraorder Tridactylidea
    • Superfamily Dzhajloutshelloidea†
      • Dzhajloutshellidae†
    • Superfamily Regiatoidea†
      • Regiatidae†
    • Superfamily Tridactyloidea
      • Cylindrachetidae
      • Rhipipterygidae
      • Tridactylidae - pygmy mole crickets

Orthoptera Include

Crickets, Katydids, Locusts, and Grasshoppers

See also

• List of orthoptera recorded in Britain
• entomophagy
• Grasshopper
• Locust
• Walking Sticks
• Crickets
• Mantids
• Katydids

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Orthoptera

• Orthoptera Species File Online
• Orthoptera Image Gallery (Iowa State University Entomology Department)
• Australian Plague Locust Commission
• The Orthopterists' Society

Wikipedia content modification information:

• This page was last modified on 13 November 2008, at 18:26.

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