Which order does include grasshoppers and crickets?

• A. Hemiptera
• B. Coleoptera
• C. Diptera
• D. Orthoptera

Answer: (D)

Grasshoppers and crickets belong to the insect order Orthoptera. This group is defined by features like strong hind legs adapted for jumping, chewing mouthparts, and forewings that are often leathery front wings (tegmina) with hind wings folded beneath for flight. They also commonly produce sounds by stridulation, rubbing wings or legs together, a behavior especially well known in crickets. Development is through incomplete metamorphosis, so nymphs resemble small adults. The other orders differ in key traits: Hemiptera are true bugs with piercing-sucking mouthparts; Coleoptera have hardened forewings (elytra); Diptera have only one pair of wings and halteres. Therefore, the order that includes grasshoppers and crickets is Orthoptera.