Grasshopper On The Rocks by photosynthesis

Photography • Insects • posted on Sep 14, 2013

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Description

When I was young, we used to see grasshoppers flying around & we thought they were a special kind of grasshopper & we called them "flying grasshoppers". But I later found out that most grasshoppers can fly. I came across a bunch of them flying around recently & stalked them patiently until one of them finally settled down & let me get close enough to take this picture. Some facts about grasshoppers' flying & jumping abilities from about.com: "Because grasshoppers have such powerful jumping legs, people sometimes don't realize they have wings, too! Most grasshoppers are pretty strong fliers, and will make good use of their wings to escape predators. Their jumping ability just gives them a boost into the air. If you've ever tried to catch a grasshopper, you know how far they can jump to flee danger. If humans could jump the way grasshoppers do, we would easily leap the length of a football field or more. How do they jump so far? It's all in those big, back legs. A grasshopper's hind legs function like miniature catapults. When it wants to jump, the grasshopper contracts its large flexor muscles slowly, bending its hind legs at the knee joint. A special piece of cuticle within the knee acts as a spring, storing up all that potential energy. When the grasshopper is ready to jump, it relaxes the leg muscles, allowing the spring to release its energy and catapulting its body into the air." Please zoom