The Order Orthoptera
Suborders
- Ensifera – Katydids and crickets: long antennae, stridulation by rubbing elytra
- Caelifera – Grasshoppers: short antennae, stridulation by rubbing legs on wings
Characteristics
- Enlarged hind legs, adapted for jumping
- Two pairs of wings (often), forewings leathery (elytra), hindwings membranous
- Long antennae (Ensifera) or short antennae (Caelifera)
- Often equipped with auditory organs (on tibiae or abdomen)
- Stridulation common in males, sometimes in females
- Robust body, often cryptic or mimetic
Habitat
Orthoptera are found in:
- Meadows, dry grasslands, fallows, scrublands, dunes
- Edges, hedgerows, open woodlands
- Wetlands (some species like marsh Tettigoniidae)
- Agricultural or anthropized environments (some grasshoppers)
Biology
- Hemimetabolous life cycle (no pupal stage)
- Eggs laid in soil or on vegetation
- Several molts before adulthood
- Mostly herbivorous, sometimes omnivorous or opportunistic predators
- Acoustic behaviors often species-specific
Representative Families
Ensifera
- Tettigoniidae – Katydids, often green with very long antennae
- Gryllidae – Crickets, nocturnal, well-known stridulation
- Trigonidiidae, Stenopelmatidae – Less common or exotic families
Caelifera
- Acrididae – Grasshoppers: fully developed wings, often gregarious, some pest species (Locusta migratoria)
- Tetrigidae – Small mimetic grasshoppers, often found near water
Notable Features
- Sound produced by stridulation, each species has its own pattern
- Good bioindicators of open environments (grasslands, transition zones)
- Some species are sensitive to habitat management (delayed mowing, extensive grazing)
- Some are migratory and capable of swarming (e.g., desert locusts)
This order is divided into two suborders: Ensifera (crickets and katydids) and Caelifera (grasshoppers).
Most known species are herbivores1. Grasshoppers, grouped under the suborder Caelifera, are strictly herbivorous. As for Ensifera (katydids and crickets), their diet varies by species, ranging from carnivorous to herbivorous or both.
Caelifera – The Grasshoppers
Ensifera – The Katydids and Crickets
