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The 'Orthoptera' (from the Greek ''orthos'' = "straight" and ''pteron'' = "wing") are an order of insects with 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. Their ears, located in the front legs, are interconnected in such a way that they are able to locate each other by sound.

Contents

Characteristics

Life cycle

Orthoptera as food

Classification

See also

External links

Characteristics

Orthopterans have two pairs of wings; the forewings 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 hind legs are enlarged for jumping.

Life cycle

Grasshoppers develop by incomplete metamorphosis or also called paurometabola. 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, a condition entomolgist refer to as neoptera. Through successive moults the nymphs develop wings buds 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.

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, halakhic authorities state that only four species known in Yemen are kosher.

Classification

★ Suborder Ensifera - crickets, katydids, and allies

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★ Superfamily Gryllavoidea†

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★ Gryllavidae†

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★ Superfamily Grylloidea

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★ Baissogryllidae†

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★ Gryllidae - true crickets

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★ Gryllotalpidae - mole crickets

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★ Mogoplistidae

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★ Myrmecophilidae - ant crickets

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★ Protogryllidae†

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★ Superfamily Hagloidea

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★ Haglidae†

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★ Hagloedischiidae†

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★ Prophalangopsidae

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★ Tuphellidae†

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★ Superfamily Phasmomimoidea†

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★ Phasmomimidae†

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★ Superfamily Rhaphidophoroidea

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★ Rhaphidophoridae - camel crickets, cave crickets, cave wetas

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★ Superfamily Schizodactyloidea

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★ Schizodactylidae - dune crickets

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★ Superfamily Stenopelmatoidea

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★ Anostostomatidae - wetas, king crickets

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★ Cooloolidae

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★ Gryllacrididae - leaf-rolling crickets

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★ Stenopelmatidae - Jerusalem crickets

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★ Superfamily Tettigonioidea

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★ Haglotettigoniidae†

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★ Tettigoniidae - katydids / bush crickets

★ Suborder Caelifera - grasshoppers, locusts

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★ Infraorder Acrididea

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★ Superfamily Acridoidea

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★ Acrididae - grasshoppers, locusts

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★ Charilaidae

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★ Dericorythidae

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★ Lathiceridae

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★ Lentulidae

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★ Lithidiidae

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★ Ommexechidae

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★ Pamphagidae - toad grasshoppers

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★ Pyrgacrididae

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★ Romaleidae

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★ Tristiridae

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★ Superfamily Eumastacoidea

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★ Chorotypidae

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★ Episactidae

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★ Eumastacidae

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★ Euschmidtiidae

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★ Mastacideidae

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★ Morabidae

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★ Promastacidae†

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★ Proscopiidae

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★ Thericleidae

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★ Superfamily Locustopsoidea†

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★ Araripelocustidae†

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★ Bouretidae†

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★ Eolocustopsidae†

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★ Locustavidae†

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★ Locustopsidae†

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★ Superfamily Pneumoroidea

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★ Pneumoridae - bladder grasshoppers

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★ Superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea

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★ Pyrgomorphidae - gaudy grasshoppers

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★ Superfamily Tanaoceroidea

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★ Tanaoceridae

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★ Superfamily Tetrigoidea

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★ Tetrigidae - grouse locusts

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★ Superfamily Trigonopterygoidea

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★ Trigonopterygidae

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★ Xyronotidae

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★ Infraorder Tridactylidea

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★ Superfamily Dzhajloutshelloidea†

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★ Dzhajloutshellidae†

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★ Superfamily Regiatoidea†

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★ Regiatidae†

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★ Superfamily Tridactyloidea

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★ Cylindrachetidae

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★ Rhipipterygidae

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★ Tridactylidae - pygmy mole crickets

See also

★ List of orthoptera recorded in Britain

★ Grasshopper

★ Locust

★ Walking Sticks

★ Crickets

★ Mantids

★ Katydids

External links

★ Orthoptera Species File Online

★ Orthoptera Image Gallery (Iowa State University Entomology Department)

★ Australian Plague Locust Commission

★ The Orthopterists' Society