Loni the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper in Tootie’s Backyard.
Loni
the Eastern Lubber Grasshopper
Loni is an eastern lubber grasshopper who lives in Tootie’s backyard in the spring.
Loni is an eastern lubber grasshopper nymph, or young grasshopper. You can identify Loni by her black color and orange stripe.
You can identify Loni’s mom and dad by their bright yellow color. Oftentimes, Tootie and Yoshi see Loni and her family hopping through the grass in Tootie’s backyard.
Loni’s Home
Loni lives near the pine trees just outside of Tootie’s yard, but she comes to visit and snack on the grass often.
Loni and her siblings were hatched from tiny yellowish eggs that their mom laid in a cluster, or row of parallel eggs. Loni has 49 siblings who hatched from the same pod, another word for a cluster, and another 100 siblings who were hatched from two other pods buried with Loni’s pod.
Loni and her siblings were born in the ground near the pine tree where he still lives. His mom dug a small hole and buried her eggs in the soil which was not too dry or too moist.
Though Loni’s mom buried her eggs in mid-summer, Loni and his siblings weren’t born until one morning in the spring, when the sun began to warm up their pod.
Where have you seen Loni or her family in your yard?
Loni’s Hobbies
Unlike other grasshoppers, eastern lubber grasshoppers can’t fly. Loni, who is still a nymph, or young grasshopper, moves around in jerky hops when she’s not walking.
Like all bugs, Loni is an invertebrate, meaning she doesn’t have a spine. Instead, she has an exoskeleton, a shell that protects her.
She molts, or sheds her exoskeleton, every two weeks as she grows. Each time her exoskeleton grows back, it grows back larger and sometimes slightly changes color. When she reaches adulthood, it will be a bright yellow.
Tootie and Yoshi tried to play with Loni’s cousin once. He hissed at them, and Loni warned them that eastern lubber grasshoppers are toxic to dogs.
What activities are the grasshoppers in your backyard doing?
Loni’s Diet
Loni is a herbivore, meaning that she only eats plants. Like other grasshoppers, Loni and her family prefer to eat grasses and green, ornamental plants.
Loni is not a picky eater and will eat vegetables and citrus fruits as well as grasses and green plants.
Loni and her siblings were born hungry, and they gathered around the nearest plants to their place of birth to feed.
During the day, Loni tends to feed alone, but at night, she and other eastern lubber grasshoppers gather near plants to forage together. When Loni and her family hang out, they form a group called a population.
What other animals do you know that are herbivores?
Learn more about Loni.
Activities
Crossword
Great job! Good luck spotting Loni in your own yard! Remember to say hello from a safe distance!