Tony_InDevon
Bird Lover & People Photographer
Today I found what appears to be a husk of a grasshopper, could someone please tell me do they shed their skin or is this the remains of a deceased one? Regards Tony
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Grasshopper "husK"? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter Tony_InDevon
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Charles Harper
Régisseur
Adult (winged) grasshoppers are done growing, I think, and done shedding; a spider, however, could have drunk its fill and left the empty container.
GeorgeMaybury
New member
Hi Tony,
A young grasshopper emerges from its egg as a vermiform larva. As soon as it reaches the open air it sheds its skin, and looks like a very small grasshopper. It will go through around 4 more moults, each time getting larger, before reaching adulthood.
Can't be sure from your description if it was an imature, or a dead adult.
Regards, George
A young grasshopper emerges from its egg as a vermiform larva. As soon as it reaches the open air it sheds its skin, and looks like a very small grasshopper. It will go through around 4 more moults, each time getting larger, before reaching adulthood.
Can't be sure from your description if it was an imature, or a dead adult.
Regards, George
Colin
Axeman (Retired)
George,
On behalf of all of the Moderators and Admin, welcome to Bird Forum. I think that you will find lots to interest you here and there are many knowledgable people here covering a wide range of bird and natural history subjects as well as the allied subjects such as photography. Look forward to reading more posts from you in the future.
With regard to Tonys question, in the life of dragonfly and damselfly larva that shed their skin as they grow larger, the new larger larva are known as instars but I do not know whether this term is applied to grasshoppers/crickets.
On behalf of all of the Moderators and Admin, welcome to Bird Forum. I think that you will find lots to interest you here and there are many knowledgable people here covering a wide range of bird and natural history subjects as well as the allied subjects such as photography. Look forward to reading more posts from you in the future.
With regard to Tonys question, in the life of dragonfly and damselfly larva that shed their skin as they grow larger, the new larger larva are known as instars but I do not know whether this term is applied to grasshoppers/crickets.
Tony_InDevon
Bird Lover & People Photographer
Hi everyone and many thanks for the welcome. I managed to keep the "husk" and hopefully the weather down here will break soon to allow me to get some shots in natural light.
If it all works out, I'll post them (a picci is worth a thousand words and all that) as a better description
If it all works out, I'll post them (a picci is worth a thousand words and all that) as a better description
GeorgeMaybury
New member
Hi Colin,
The young grasshopper hatchling is called a nymph, and this stage is followed by instars (as you suggest) before adulthood is reached.
Regards, George
The young grasshopper hatchling is called a nymph, and this stage is followed by instars (as you suggest) before adulthood is reached.
Regards, George
Tony_InDevon
Bird Lover & People Photographer
Charles Harper
Régisseur
OK Tony. It's the shed skin of a previous instar, not a corpse. The orthopteran has escaped his old skin through a split in the back. Wish I could do that. Species? Good luck.
Tony_InDevon
Bird Lover & People Photographer
Many thanks Charles. Alas there were loads of the little criitters of different types and colours in the patch of grass where I found this. To be honest some of the shots I got of this look like they should be in a Stephen King movie. :bounce:
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