A baby grasshopper is called a nymph. These young insects hatch from eggs, typically in the spring or early summer, and begin their lives looking much like miniature versions of their parents. Unlike insects that undergo complete metamorphosis, the grasshopper’s youth stage is immediately recognizable as a tiny grasshopper. The process of gradually changing into an adult involves multiple stages of growth.
Physical Identification of Nymphs
A newly hatched grasshopper nymph is notably small, often measuring only about three to five millimeters in length. This size makes it easy to overlook or confuse with other tiny insects like large ants or small crickets. These young forms are generally similar in body shape to adults, possessing a head, thorax, and abdomen, though their proportions are often slightly different. Nymphs frequently display brighter colors than adults, sometimes appearing lime green, yellow-orange, or distinctly striped. These colors can serve as camouflage in new plant growth.
The most distinguishing feature of a nymph is the absence of full wings, meaning they cannot fly. Instead of fully developed wings, they possess small flaps on their thorax called wing pads, which house the developing adult wings underneath. As the nymph grows, these wing pads become progressively larger and more noticeable. Their antennae are also relatively shorter compared to the length of an adult’s body.
The Grasshopper Growth Process
Grasshoppers undergo incomplete metamorphosis, meaning their life cycle progresses through three distinct stages: egg, nymph, and adult. The entire nymphal stage, from hatching to full maturity, typically lasts between 35 to 55 days, depending on the species and environmental factors like temperature. This growth is accommodated by a process called molting, where the nymph sheds its rigid outer shell, or exoskeleton, several times.
The period between each molt is known as an instar, and a grasshopper nymph usually goes through five or six instars before reaching adulthood. With each successive molt, the young insect becomes physically larger and its wing pads grow more pronounced. By the fourth and fifth instars, the wing pads are clearly visible and begin to extend over the abdomen, making the creature look increasingly like a miniature, flightless adult.
Feeding Habits and Habitat
Young grasshopper nymphs are herbivores, meaning their diet consists entirely of plant material. Immediately after hatching, they begin feeding on soft plant foliage near the site of their egg pod. Their diet includes various grasses, leaves, and young crops such as corn, wheat, and alfalfa.
Nymphs are primarily found in the same open habitats as adult grasshoppers, including grasslands, gardens, meadows, and fields with tall grasses. Since they lack functional wings, their primary mode of movement is hopping, using their powerful hind legs to escape predators and move between feeding spots. They are particularly vulnerable in this stage, which is why only about half of the hatched nymphs typically survive to reach the adult stage.