Orthoptera
- Related Topics:
- ice bug
- phasmid
- Orthoptera
- Dictyoptera
- Exopterygota
Orthoptera, (order Orthoptera), order of more than 20,000 insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, katydids, wētā, and close relatives. The group is divided into the suborders Ensifera (katydids, crickets, and camel crickets) and Caelifera (pygmy sand crickets, grasshoppers, and locusts). Orthopterans, abundant in tropical regions throughout the world in both numbers of species and individuals, are common in the summer months in temperate regions, when their relatively large size and chirping sounds attract considerable attention. Most are plant feeders, with mouthparts adapted for chewing.
Importance
Orthopterans play a vital role in the health and functioning of the many ecosystems they inhabit. As herbivores, they influence plant communities by consuming leaves, stems, and seeds, thus shaping vegetation patterns, plant evolution, and contributing to nutrient cycling. They are a significant food source for a wide variety of predators, including birds, reptiles, small mammals, spiders, and other insects, and are important to local food webs. Some species, especially those in tropical areas, may act as pollinators, inadvertently transferring pollen as they visit flowers in search of nectar or shelter. The presence and abundance of orthopterans can serve as indicators of ecosystem health, and the populations of many groups have been in decline with threats such as global warming, habitat loss, and the broad use of insecticides.
Among the orthopterans are many species that are either harmful to agricultural products or are considered pests. Grasshoppers are capable of causing widespread devastation of the agricultural crops grown in many countries throughout the world. In cattle-growing regions there often is competition between grasshoppers and livestock for available forage. Mormon crickets (a common name for species of the genus Anabrus that originated during the early years of the Mormon settlement in Utah) are major pests of both crops and open rangeland in the western part of the U.S. during seasons that are favorable for their development.
While many orthopterans have long been eaten by humans, crickets are increasingly used as a source of protein-rich food in many places. Crickets are easy to farm and have high amounts of iron, making them potentially valuable sources of nutrients for the one billion people worldwide who suffer from iron-deficiency anemia, in particular pregnant women and preschool children. In addition to direct consumption, protein powers formed of ground crickets are available and can be added to baked goods or smoothies. See also entomophagy.