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Insect Order Orthoptera- grasshoppers and
crickets
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Orthoptera are hemimetabolous (having nymphs that look
like small adults and no pupa) medium or large insects that are usually
winged as adults but may be apterous (wingless). They have a large
pronotum (the plate covering the first thoracic segment or prothorax)
and enlarged (often greatly so) hind femur which are used for jumping.
In the winged forms the the fore wings are toughened and strengthened to
form tegmina, the hind wings are membraneous and folded fan like. They
normally have large well developed compound eyes as well as three ocelli,
their cerci are normally short and one segmented and their mouthparts
are designed for biting. Females usually have well developed ovipositor,
this is more obvious in the Crickets and Bush-crickets. Their antennae
are long and filiform in the Ensifera consisting of a large numbers
segments, but short consisting of less than 30 segments in the Caelifera.
It is considered by most scientist that the Orthoptera arose in the late
Upper Carboniferous more than 300 million years ago. |
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