Best time to see: late Jun to end Oct

Key facts

Grasshoppers, unlike bush-crickets, have short antennae and are diurnal and vegetarian

Powerful hind legs allow them to leap to safety when threatened

They stridulate when courting or mating by rubbing body parts together; different species have different 'songs'

Recognition

The meadow grasshopper shown here is green, but often with grey or brown stripes on the side of the abdomen

Typically up to 25mm long, they have short wings, rarely reaching beyond the end of the body

Call consists of a sequence of repeated notes, repeated again every 3–4 seconds

Lifecycle

Eggs are laid into the soil or at the foot of grass blades in summer

Eggs hatch the following spring, pupating and emerging as adults from late June onwards

The adults mature and lay their eggs, then die in autumn the same year