10 biggest grasshoppers in the world

What a grasshopper looks like, every child knows, starting from kindergarten. But this stereotype is very misleading. There are more than 6 thousand species of grasshoppers and they look completely different. Some are like those drawn in children’s books, some are like those shown in horror films. There are even some that are indistinguishable from real leaves and have an incredible level of stealth. Grasshoppers live in a variety of areas and can be found on almost all continents except Antarctica.

We invite you to get acquainted with the largest representatives of grasshoppers in the world, which can reach up to 15 centimeters in length. But with all this, even the largest grasshoppers do not look intimidating, and some are even kept at home.

10 Green grasshopper, 36 mm

Adults green grasshopper can reach 28-36 mm in length. Although this is the average size of insects, among the grasshoppers, this species is listed as the largest.

They prefer to live in wet meadows, swamps, grassy thickets and forest edges. They feed mainly on other small insects. If such delicacies cannot be caught, then leaves, buds and flowers are consumed in large quantities. Sometimes there is cannibalism.

There are no features in the building. They can be bright green or yellowish. This is just the familiar look that everyone knows, from small to large. Most often, it is these grasshoppers that are drawn in the encyclopedia for review.

9. Grasshopper-leaf, 60 mm

This is an incredible insect that is very difficult to distinguish from a real leaf. It simulated not only color and shape, but even veins. For predators who want to feast on this insect, the task is almost impossible. He even disguised his paws, which look like dry twigs.

Of all the species of grasshoppers, and there are more than six thousand of them, this one is perhaps one of the most unusual. In length leaf grasshopper reaches 60 mm. There are a lot of such subspecies with an incredible level of camouflage, and they all reached this level through evolution.

8. Tolstun Pallas, 60 mm

The peculiarity of this grasshopper is very unusual, it is not only one of the largest, but also cannot jump. It would seem that this is a distinctive feature of this species of insects, but Tolstun Pallas cannot raise his body high on such thin legs.

By the way, that is why he got his nickname and fully justifies it. Most often you can meet them in Asia, but you can also see them in Russia. They are often kept at home. In the wild, they prefer plant food, but they can also eat the remains of other insects.

At home, they are fed vegetables and fruits. The coloration is very interesting and not typical for grasshoppers. Dark brown with symmetrical light brown stripes. Everything about this insect is atypical for its fellows, it prefers to crawl away from danger rather than jump.

7. Spiny devil, 70 mm

The appearance of this grasshopper is striking, but it is thanks to its unusual needles that it can protect itself. It received such a terrible name precisely because of its unusual and forcing appearance.

It is completely covered with needles. If predators or birds try to get close to him, he begins to swing his front paws and threaten with sharp thorns. You can meet him along the Amazon and listen to the serenades that he sings all night long.

Feed on Spiny devils plant foods, but not averse to eating other insects. In length, it reaches 70 mm and this is enough to repulse your opponents. Also, to scare off his opponents, he came up with a cunning plan. When he sees that a predator is approaching him, he sharply raises his hind legs, which are brightly colored, and while the predator comes to his senses quickly crawls away.

6. Mormon, 80 mm

The appearance of a grasshopper is no different from the usual. The only thing is that the torso is more round and looks very “well-fed”. It is classified as a pest, as it often spoils garden plants. It lives in North America closer to pastures to eat plants planted by humans.

In length Mormon reaches 80 mm, and in combination with its volumes, it looks very massive. It can cover distances of more than two kilometers per day, despite the fact that this species does not fly.

5. Pseudophyllinae, 80 mm

This is a subfamily of grasshoppers, which can reach a length of 30 to 80 mm. They resemble leaves in appearance, including veins, twigs, and even brown spots. It is almost impossible to distinguish them on the ground from real leaves. One can only envy such camouflage, because not every insect can disguise itself from predators as well as Pseudophyllinae.

4. Giant Ueta, 100 mm

This species can be found in New Zealand. In length, it reaches 100 mm, with a weight of more than 70 g. Such volumes make it very impressive and even intimidating. In the movie “King Kong” it was these grasshoppers that were increased in size in frames.

Of all insects Giant Ueta occupies a leading position in terms of weight. The paws are equipped with spikes, which adds even more horror. They live not only in forests, but also in open areas, in caves and even in cities. They are classified as living fossils due to their long existence.

This type of grasshopper is listed in the Guinness Book of Records, there are not very many of them left and numerous rodents influenced this. Ueta is the collective name for insects from the order Orthoptera. All of them belong to two families and live in the New Zealand archipelago and adjacent islands.

3. Giant long-legged grasshopper, 100 mm

Perhaps this is another of the most unusual insects in the world. When he sits on his hands, in size you can compare him with a small kitten. The total length reaches 100 mm, but because of the long legs, it looks much larger. You can meet them only in the mountains, not far from Malaysia. They are well camouflaged and look like green leaves.

Despite the length of the legs Giant long-legged grasshopper prefers to crawl rather than jump. It feeds on plants, but may also eat other insects. He is active at night, he gets food only in the light of the moon.

2. Steppe Dybka, 120 mm

This type of grasshopper can be found in most of Eurasia, but it is very difficult to notice it in its habitat. Steppe Dybka prefers ravines and other hard-to-reach places.

It can be 120 mm long, which makes it look very impressive. The color is green or slightly yellowish. It is most active at night, during the day it prefers to sit in tall grass and avoid predators.

1. Peacock grasshopper, 150 mm

This grasshopper has several names, but the most popular is peacock. He got his nickname because of the unusual appearance, which resembles a peacock’s tail. This species was discovered quite recently, on an expedition in 2006.

He has two cunning defense plans. At first, it looks like a fallen leaf, with closed wings it is very difficult to distinguish it. But if a predator approaches it, it spreads its wings and starts jumping so that its eye patterns give the impression of a large bird.

The insect reaches 150 mm in size and looks incredibly beautiful with open wings. This pattern is used by many butterflies.