Difference Between Locust and Grasshopper

Locust vs Grasshopper

Locusts and grasshoppers are the same in appearance but differ in the way they behave. The grasshopper belongs to the order Orthoptera and suborder Caelifera. This insect contains 28 families. It is usually referred to as the short-horned grasshopper so as to distinguish it from crickets. They are equipped with short ovipositors and antennae which are shorter compared to their bodies. They usually have wings, and the females are larger than the males. They have long back legs used for leaping. Their mandibles are very strong. The adults have two wings in the front and two membranous wings in the back which are all fully developed.

The females have short ovipositors and two pairs of valves which are used to dig in sand when egg laying, and these are located at the end of the abdomen. The males have one plate at the end of the abdomen which is not paired. On the other hand, locusts are a species of the grasshopper but change behavior and color at high population densities. The locust belongs to the order Orthoptera and suborder Acrididae. This insect has one family only. They are the swarming phase of the grasshoppers. In suitable conditions, they breed rapidly and become migratory and gregarious. When they form swarms, they can travel at high speeds, and they are responsible for most of the damage to crops as they rapidly strip them. The causes of the behavioral changes are not fully understood.

Summary

1.The locust is a type of a grasshopper which is short horned. The grasshopper is not a type of a locust.
2.Both belong to the order Orthoptera.
3.The grasshopper belongs to the suborder known as Caelifera while the locust belongs to the suborder Acrididae.
4.The grasshopper has 28 distinct families while the locust has only 1 family.
5.Both are short horned and have short ovipositors, two, short antennae, long back legs used for leaping, and mandibles which are strong.
6.Both adults of the locusts and grasshoppers have two wings in the front and two membranous wings in the back which are all fully developed.
7.Both are regarded as delicacies in certain parts of the world.
8.Locusts can exist in two different behavioral states which are migratory and gregarious while grasshoppers do not.
9.Locusts may change their body shape and color, fertility, and survival behavior while grasshoppers generally do not.
10.Locusts can form dense swarms and bands while grasshoppers generally do not.
11.Locusts can migrate over large distances while grasshoppers cannot.

Sharing is caring!