Life-cycle of Grasshopper in Resin

Grasshoppers are insects in the order Orthoptera. Found all over the world and especially abundant in the tropics, they may be distinguished from Crickets, Katydids and Leaf Hoppers by their shorter antennae.

Grasshoppers lay their eggs in the ground, and some even gather on roads to drill eggs into the tar. Batches of eggs, called “pods,” will eventually hatch into baby Grasshoppers called “nymphs” or “hoppers.” A nymph then undergoes five stages of growth, molting at each stage, before becoming a full grown Grasshopper. An adult emerges from its final molt with fully formed wings and a soft body, which hardens over the next week. Some varieties of Grasshoppers undergo a transformation, under the right conditions, into Locusts, a rapidly-breeding, often highly destructive swarming variety. Grasshoppers are eaten by many peoples in many parts of the world, though some species can be poisonous. 

This series of specimens is mounted in crystal-clear lucite for study or display.