# Grasshopper — Facts, Threats & Conservation

*Caelifera*

> Grasshoppers are plant-eating insects famous for their powerful hind legs, which let them leap many times their own body length. They live in grasslands and fields, where they feed on leaves and stems, and many produce a chirping sound by rubbing body parts together.

**IUCN status:** Least Concern  ·  **WARN range:** Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, South America, Oceania

## Quick facts
| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Scientific name | Suborder Caelifera |
| Diet | Herbivore (leaves, grasses, stems) |
| Habitat | Grasslands, meadows, fields, scrub |
| Lifespan | About 1 year or less |
| Size | 2–8 cm (1–3 in) depending on species |
| Jump | Up to ~20 times body length |
| Conservation status | Least Concern (IUCN) |

## Scientific classification
- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Arthropoda
- **Class:** Insecta
- **Order:** Orthoptera
- **Family:** Acrididae

## Conservation status
- **Status:** Least Concern (IUCN Red List category)
- **Population:** Global population not compiled for this guide
- **Trend:** See the IUCN Red List assessment
- **Assessed:** See the IUCN Red List assessment
- **CITES:** See CITES appendices
- Conservation figures are drawn from the IUCN Red List and CITES; this guide links to the authoritative sources rather than restating population counts.

## Key facts: Grasshopper
- Grasshoppers have large, muscular hind legs that store energy like a spring, letting them launch into leaps many times their own body length.
- Grasshoppers are herbivores that feed on grasses, leaves, and other plants using strong chewing mouthparts.
- Many grasshoppers produce a chirping or buzzing sound, often by rubbing a hind leg against a wing, a behavior called stridulation.

## Powerful jumpers
Grasshoppers have large, muscular hind legs that store energy like a spring, letting them launch into leaps many times their own body length. Jumping helps them escape predators quickly, and many species can also fly to cover longer distances. The legs are the grasshopper's most distinctive feature.

## Diet and feeding
Grasshoppers are herbivores that feed on grasses, leaves, and other plants using strong chewing mouthparts. Most cause little harm, but when conditions allow certain species to gather in huge numbers as swarming locusts, they can strip crops and become serious agricultural pests.

## Sound and senses
Many grasshoppers produce a chirping or buzzing sound, often by rubbing a hind leg against a wing, a behavior called stridulation. These calls are used mainly to attract mates. Grasshoppers hear through simple ear-like organs located on the body rather than the head.

## Life cycle and habitat
Grasshoppers develop through incomplete metamorphosis, hatching as small wingless nymphs that grow through several molts into winged adults. They are found in grasslands, meadows, and fields on most continents, and are an important food source for birds, reptiles, and other animals.

## What WARN does
WARN does not run a dedicated grasshopper programme — this guide is part of the World Animal Rescue Network's free educational library. The grasshopper is currently widespread and not globally threatened, and this guide helps readers understand the pressures that can change that. Building public understanding of species like the grasshopper supports the broader conservation awareness that underpins WARN's partner-led rescue work across its network.

If clear, science-based wildlife guides like this help you understand and value animals, please consider supporting the World Animal Rescue Network's educational and rescue work so we can keep producing them.

## Frequently asked questions: Grasshopper
### How far can a grasshopper jump?
Grasshoppers can leap around 20 times their own body length thanks to their powerful spring-like hind legs. For a human, that would be like jumping the length of several buses.

### What do grasshoppers eat?
Grasshoppers are herbivores that feed on grasses, leaves, and stems. Most eat small amounts, but swarming species known as locusts can damage crops over wide areas.

### How do grasshoppers make sound?
Many grasshoppers chirp by rubbing a hind leg against a wing, a process called stridulation. These sounds are mainly used by males to attract mates.

### What is the difference between a grasshopper and a locust?
Locusts are certain grasshopper species that can change behavior and form massive migrating swarms when crowded. Otherwise they are closely related plant-eating insects.

### How long do grasshoppers live?
Most grasshoppers live for about a year or less. They typically hatch in spring, mature over the summer, and die as colder weather sets in.

### Do grasshoppers bite?
Grasshoppers can give a small nip if handled, but they are harmless to people. They have no venom and rely on jumping to escape rather than biting in defense.

### Where do grasshoppers live?
Grasshoppers live in Grasslands, meadows, fields, scrub. Grasshoppers are plant-eating insects famous for their powerful hind legs, which let them leap many times their own body length. They live in grasslands and fields, where they feed on leaves and stems, and many produce a chirping sound by rubbing body parts together.

### Are grasshoppers dangerous?
Grasshoppers are not generally dangerous to people. Grasshoppers are plant-eating insects famous for their powerful hind legs, which let them leap many times their own body length. They live in grasslands and fields, where they feed on leaves and stems, and many produce a chirping sound by rubbing body parts together. Give wild individuals space and do not corner or handle them.

### How big is a grasshopper?
A Grasshopper is about About 1 year or less. Grasshoppers are plant-eating insects famous for their powerful hind legs, which let them leap many times their own body length. Conservation status: Least Concern (IUCN).

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Grasshopper](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caelifera)
- [Wikidata — Grasshopper](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83902)

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Full guide: https://worldanimalrescuenetwork.org/wildlife-guides/grasshopper