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Understanding the sex of a grasshopper is important if you’re performing research or a dissection. Even though grasshoppers don’t look physically different at a glance, you can still easily identify whether you have a male or female insect. By checking their abdomen and watching their behavior, you can figure out what grasshopper you have!
Steps
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Hold the grasshopper in the middle of its body between your fingers. Pick up the grasshopper gently so you have a firm grip. The grasshopper may try to get away while you pick it up. Don’t squeeze too hard or else you may hurt the grasshopper. [1] X Research source
- Grasshoppers may bite, but it’s very uncommon. It also may regurgitate its stomach as a defense mechanism, but it isn’t harmful to humans. [2] X Trustworthy Source Penn State Extension Educational organization dedicated to delivering science-based information to people, businesses, and communities Go to source
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Squeeze softly on the grasshopper’s abdomen. Grab the rear of the grasshopper between your thumb and forefinger. Slightly pinch the abdomen so the grasshopper’s sexual organs are revealed. [3] X Research source
- Squeezing too hard will hurt the grasshopper.
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Identify a male grasshopper by a rounded abdomen. Looking at the grasshopper's abdomen is the most definitive way to determine its sex. A rounded, upturned abdomen indicates the grasshopper is a male. [4] X Research source
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Note that a female grasshopper has a tapered abdomen. A female grasshopper's abdomen looks like a tube. This tube is known as the ovipositor, which the female uses to lay its eggs. [5] X Research source
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Recognize that female grasshoppers are larger than males. If you are looking at a particular grasshopper in a large group, look at how large it is compared to others of its species. If your grasshopper is larger than the others, it’s most likely a female. If not, then it’s likely that you have a male. [6] X Research source
- Don’t judge the sex of the grasshopper solely on its appearance since it will not be the most accurate.
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Identify male grasshoppers by their aggressive behavior. Look to see if the grasshopper is kicking or biting others of its species. When grasshoppers prepare to mate, the males will become more aggressive with one another while they search for females. [7] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Behavior and temperament depends on the grasshopper species. Some may be more aggressive while others will not.
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Look for males mounting females when they mate. When grasshoppers mate, they will climb on top of the females to deposit their sperm so the females can lay eggs. If you see a smaller grasshopper on top of a larger grasshopper, the smaller one is likely a male. [8] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health Go to source
- Sometimes, males will mount other males if they are fighting.
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Spot a female grasshopper if you notice it laying eggs. Check if the grasshopper is sticking its abdomen, or lower body, into the ground. Females lay their eggs underground, so look for grasshoppers digging in the ground or staying still when you approach them. [9] X Research source
- Female grasshoppers lay eggs throughout the summer and autumn.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionDo grasshoppers have a season that they mate I want to breed them?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerGrasshoppers tend to mate throughout the summer months and into early autumn.
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QuestionMy grasshopper has a black stinger-looking thing. What could this be?This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.wikiHow Staff EditorStaff AnswerThese may be the tips of the ovipositor on a female grasshopper. These are used to help the female dig in the ground to lay her eggs.
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QuestionHow long do grasshoppers live?Community AnswerGrasshoppers will generally live about one year.
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Tips
- Checking the grasshopper’s abdomen anatomy is the only way to be sure of its sex.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Do not be afraid if you see brown stuff oozing out your grasshopper's mouth. When a grasshopper is afraid, brown liquid will ooze out of its mouth to scare predators. It's a defense mechanism. It won't hurt you if it gets on your hands, but make sure to wash it off.
- If you need to catch a grasshopper and don't have a bug net, sneak behind the grasshopper and quickly cup your hands around it's body. If you're not sure whether you've caught it, hold still and wait until you feel it jump.
- Like people and animals, grasshoppers can get stressed. Try not to mess with it too much, whether you're just trying to determine its sex or otherwise.
- Do not put grasshoppers in a netted terrarium. They will eat their way out of the cage.
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Warnings
- Don’t squeeze grasshoppers too hard or else you could damage them.Thanks
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you'd like to learn more about grasshoppers, check out our in-depth interview with Shweta Sharma .
References
- ↑ https://www.biologyjunction.com/grasshopper_dissection.htm
- ↑ https://extension.psu.edu/questions-and-answers-about-caterpillars-and-grasshoppers
- ↑ https://www.biologyjunction.com/grasshopper_dissection.htm
- ↑ https://www.biologyjunction.com/grasshopper_dissection.htm
- ↑ https://www.biologyjunction.com/grasshopper_dissection.htm
- ↑ http://www.wyomingextension.org/agpubs/pubs/B1161.pdf
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498212/
- ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3498212/
- ↑ https://youtu.be/jDnFleTAlZk?t=3s
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- "The most friendly thing to catching grasshoppers was the info bit on the use of a yellow fleece fabric laid in between the grass blades to camouflage it. Then sprinkling a small amount of sugar on to it and stirring up the grass to catch them on it." ..." more
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"The most friendly thing to catching grasshoppers was the info bit on the use of a yellow fleece fabric laid in between the grass blades to camouflage it. Then sprinkling a small amount of sugar on to it and stirring up the grass to catch them on it."
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