Red-Legged Grasshopper - Melanoplus femurrubrum
While the Red-Legged Grasshopper has been featured prominently on this blog time and time again, today's set of images allows us to highlight some particular features for this species thanks to a unique point of view. It's all thanks to the first picture showcased (and Picture 6 to a lesser extent), and with some luck from the glass storm door this Grasshopper individual was holding on to. For the first time on this blog, we have a look at the ventral (underside) of a Red-Legged Grasshopper and what a difference it is from the streamlined and winged side of the insect. Firstly, take a close look at how each of the legs are connected to the body and how all the joints are structured. Each leg is positioned just so in order to maintain grip on the glass pane and also allow it to crawl upward by pulling itself up with its forelegs, and pushing upward using its hindlegs. Since glass is a relatively smooth service compared to more natural surfaces such as tree bark, stone or soil, a secure grip is more important than ever. As far as traversal on such surfaces goes, Picture 7 shows just how careful and intentional movement on such a surface is; this individual slowly pressed upward with a careful extension of the hindleg. As well, this highlight also shows us just how responsive such an individual is with the array of sensory hairs upon her legs.
While Grasshopper mobility in unusual environments is something to consider, that's not the primary reason for this post. Rather, this post is meant to draw attention to this robust insect's abdomen and its mouthparts from the angle seen in Picture 1. Speaking of the former body section first, looking at this individual's abdomen allows us to confirm that she is a female Grasshopper. Although the keen-eyed observer can successfully distinguish a female and male Red-Legged Grasshopper by looking at the abdomen from the top, the underside gives us the best view of what to look for. As mentioned in an earlier post, the abdomen of a male Red-Legged Grasshopper widens out as it moves away from the body and ends in a rounded form. A female's abdomen meanwhile tapers to a point featuring rear claspers. Thanks to the view in Picture 1, the tapering is most evident. As for the mouthparts: if you zoom in on the aforementioned picture, you will find a great view of the maxilla and labium manipulators which rest upon the labrum (front-facing mouthpart) and the mandibles. Many of these mouthparts are present in other insects, but each order has its own configuration (usually) designed with a diet in mind. This configuration for this species is adapting to chew through vegetation and consume it: the manipulators move food towards the mandibles while taking in sensory information related to the food, and the labrum helps hold food in place while the mandibles carve it up into swallowable pieces.
Pictures were taken on September 23, 2025 with a Google Pixel 8a.
