Jumping-legs
Guides
Orthoptera
grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, katydids, bush crickets, wētā
Orthoptera is a diverse order of insects comprising over 20,000 species worldwide, including grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, katydids, and wētā. The order is defined by enlarged hind legs adapted for jumping, stridulatory sound production, and incomplete metamorphosis. Orthopterans are divided into two monophyletic suborders: Caelifera (grasshoppers and locusts) and Ensifera (crickets and katydids). The group originated approximately 300 million years ago, with the divergence between suborders occurring around 256 million years ago.