Grasshoppers - Body Temperature

Although grasshoppers have a body temperature that ranges with the environmental temperature, the actual body temperature is important since it can affect movement, digestion, food consumption, water retention, egg/nymph survival rate, life expectancy, mating, and habitat selection. The preferred temperature range is 86-112°F (30-44°C). Because grasshoppers normally produce little body heat, they thermoregulate (maintain appropriate body temperature) by using heat gained from the environment. Long, thin species increase body heat by exposing their sides to the sun. Broad, flat grasshoppers turn their back perpendicular to the sun's rays. Crouching allows heat absorption from a warm surface into the abdomen, while stilting (extending the legs) cools the insect by lifting it off a warm surface and permitting air to circulate around its body.