A Grasshopper’s Body

Did you know that a grasshopper has five eyes on its head? It has two large eyes, called compound eyes. Each compound eye has hundreds of tiny lenses that see movement. A grasshopper also has three small eyes between the compound eyes. These small eyes see darkness and light.

Grasshoppers are known for their long, strong legs. The powerful muscles in each back leg allow a grasshopper to jump about 20 times its body length. All six of a grasshopper’s legs are found on its thorax. The long back part of its body is the abdomen.

This is a close-up photo of a grasshopper’s head. You can see one of the compound eyes here.View Larger Image

© Scott Camazine/Peter Arnold, Inc.