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Orthoptera

Orthoptera

Taxonomic placing: Insecta, Hemimetabola.

Morphology: An order of over 20,000 described species, whose name derives from their straight wings. They include the crickets, grasshoppers and locusts. The posterior legs are enlarged for jumping, with robust femora. The pronotum is well-developed, covering the thorax. The forewings are narrower than the hindwings, leathery at their bases. The genital organs of the male are symmetrical. All stages have chewing mouthparts.

Life history: Most grasshoppers lay their eggs in the soil or on vegetation, and are phytophagous. The young nymphs resemble adults, but lack wings and have different colors; they live in similar habitats, but the adults may migrate. Because they jump from site to site they are commonly called “hopper”‘. The duration of developing to adults varies greatly, depending on food availability and weather conditions. As these worsen, a few species (like Locusta migratoria L.) may greatly increase in numbers and form swarms of locusts (“plagues”).

Economic importance: The Orthoptera feed on many crops and may cause devastating economic damage. Swarms of locust (in the Middle East, especially L. migratoria and Schistocerca gregariaForsskäl), driven by prevailing winds, often appear in many parts of the world. They may totally destroy crops over wide land areas. Mole crickets can be pests in lawns.

The plague of locusts is described in the book of Exodus, chapter 10, verses 13-15 (New International Version): “By morning the wind had brought the locusts; they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again. They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt”. Additional descriptions of locust devastations include, among others, that in the book of Joel, chapter 1, verses 4-7.

Websites http://www.insectimages.org/browse/taxthumb.cfm?order=159 https://www.google.co.il/search?q=locusts+and+bible&espv=2&biw=845&bih=525&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCkQsARqFQoTCK2R_9K9j8kCFUE-FAodJcwCiw&dpr=1.5