Cricket Vs. Grasshopper: The Different Ways You Can Tell The Two Apart

Have you always had difficulty differentiating between insects, especially crickets and grasshoppers?

If you are interested in the answer, then you have come to the right page! These Orthoptera order species have as many differences as similarities, so in this article, we try to help you understand what sets apart a cricket from a grasshopper.

Insects are usually considered a nuisance, but they could also be the very thing that beautifies your garden. If you have ever been to an open field, the soothing chirping of insects or the sound of crickets amidst grass would have been a part of your fond memories. This is nature's way of singing to us, and in a world of hustle-bustle, maybe this is all that you need to find your peace. But these jumping insects can be confusing too. Take, for example, grasshoppers and crickets; they belong to the same order but different families.

Crickets belong to the family of Gryllidae and grasshoppers to Acrididae. Usually, the shades of brown and black are more familiar to crickets as not all crickets are green, whereas bright colors like orange and green are more evident in grasshoppers. These colors are designed to help both the orthoptera order species blend well into their respective environments.

Apart from their colors, many other fundamental differences make these two brown and green species different from each other. From their diet to the time of day they are active, the way they lay their eggs, how they make noise, how their appearance is, how they jump and fly, all of these points of distinction are distinct for each of these insects. So with no more delay, let's plunge into the world of grasshoppers and crickets to understand their similarities and dissimilarities.

If you are fond of the cricket species, then how about you also check out our articles on how long do crickets live? and why do crickets chirp? as well!

Are grasshoppers and crickets the same?

Despite coming from the same order Orthoptera, crickets and grasshoppers have stark differences between each other.

Crickets, katydids, locusts, and grasshoppers are all members of the Orthoptera order, so naturally, all these four insects have a common ancestor. Some facts to debate on cricket vs. grasshopper would be that crickets are nocturnal creatures, so they are primarily brown, whereas grasshoppers are bright green that helps them blend with plants and grass. Grasshoppers have shorter antennae when compared to a cricket's long antennae. Crickets can crawl and jump, but grasshoppers can fly, jump or crawl.

Another fascinating insight is that crickets have a peculiar way of laying their eggs. Crickets lay their eggs in a hidden location from the male cricket because male crickets tend to destroy their own eggs! How strange, right? In contrast, it is the grasshopper's soil way to lay eggs; the adult grasshopper always deposits their eggs into the soil.

Belonging to the same order does not make any two types of animal or insect species the same, which is also the case with crickets and grasshoppers. For instance, both crickets and grasshoppers can sing, but they have different ways to do so. Grasshopper and crickets could be omnivorous, but the latter is more inclined to eat plant material. Grasshoppers are known to be more destructive in terms of destroying crops and plants, whereas crickets are not. So despite being vaguely related, these two groups of insects are not the same.

Which is bigger, cricket or grasshopper?

Generally, grasshoppers and crickets have similar-sized bodies; however, crickets are smaller than grasshoppers. Most crickets are found to be between .25 -2 in (0.635-5.08 cm) and smaller than grasshoppers.

On the other hand, grasshoppers have long bodies that grow up to 2-3 in (5.08-7.62 cm) long.

Can a cricket eat a grasshopper?

Different species in the world have different eating habits, and crickets are essentially omnivorous insect species. They are scavengers who like to have their meat dead, and they also eat rotting and dead plant matter. Did you know that the cricket species also eat other insects' eggs? They like pupae and larvae as their food too.

Grasshoppers are mainly herbivorous. They like their food to consist of grass, plants, flowers, leaves, and plant stems. However, that does not stop them from eating some animal-related food too. As a matter of fact, both cricket and grasshopper species are known to resort to cannibalistic mechanisms if push comes to shove, which means that despite being the members of the same order, crickets can at times eat both live and dead grasshoppers too.

How To Tell A Cricket From A Grasshopper

Grasshoppers and crickets have similarities and differences, but it still gets hard to make out any difference between the two, right? Don't worry; we have some distinctive points to get your head a clear picture of these annoying little pests that can enter your house anytime!

Grasshoppers have a lot in common with both crickets and locusts, but what sets them apart is their food habits. The species of grasshoppers are more accustomed to eating plants located mainly in grasslands and prairies. They are larger than crickets, reaching up to almost 4in(10.16 cm) in length, but their bright green color is very distinctive compared to a cricket's color. This is what helps them blend well in nature. Grasshoppers are also more adept at jumping and flying, which is a characteristic difference in comparing grasshoppers and crickets.

On the other hand, crickets are also called scavengers because these groups of insects belong to insects that love to eat dead insect bodies. Their front legs are created in a manner to dig effectively. Cricket is usually smaller than a grasshopper and wouldn't be more than 2 in (5.08) in length, and the most critical differentiating point is the nocturnal nature. They don't fly but will be active throughout the night and would travel with the help of their back legs to jump. Last but not least, the antennas of cricket species are longer in length than the grasshopper.

Cricket Vs. Grasshopper Sound

Both grasshoppers and crickets have a distinctive ability to detect and make sounds. However, remember that these sounds that are essentially chirping sounds are made in the mating and courting process. Especially for crickets, it is the male cricket that chirps. In the case of grasshoppers, both male and female grasshoppers can chirp, although the males do the most.

Grasshoppers are known to create chirping sounds by rubbing their wings against their hind legs, and the way they detect the sound is through their organs located below their abdomen. In contrast, the crickets produce the chirping sound by just rubbing their wings together. This sound is called stridulation.

Getting Rid Of Crickets And Grasshoppers

Locusts, crickets, and grasshoppers are known as house pests because they harm crops and other plants. The sound made with their wings can make these insects with long hind legs spoil your mood in minutes! Adult insect species are known to create chaos, and their chirping sound could also be a cause of annoyance! So here we suggest an effortless way for you to get rid of these tiny insects.

Like most insects, the best way to remove them and prevent crickets or grasshoppers from coming into your garden or near your crops is to get their predators. Yes! as obvious as this sounds, infesting your garden with predators such as lizards, birds, mantid, spiders, and maybe a few rodents too would eliminate both these species of insects.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for cricket vs. grasshopper, then why not take a look at can grasshoppers fly or grasshopper facts.