Grasshopper, Cricket or Katydid Identification: Telling It From Look-Alikes
Quick answer
Grasshoppers/Crickets/Katydids: 5 marks to check, what they are often confused with, whether they bite or sting, and where they turn up, quoted from university entomology and IPM sources.
Updated 2026-09-10 · Sources: UC IPM
Found one? Take a photo to identify it.
Download on the App StoreWhat are the key facts?
- Group: Order Orthoptera (includes grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids)
- Body plan: Grasshoppers have a robust body, relatively short antennae, and hind legs with greatly enlarged femurs adapted for jumping; most are winged and good flyers, though some species are flightless. Crickets and katydids, in the same order, have long antennae instead.
- Size: Katydids range from about 1-1/8 inches (forktailed bush katydid) to about 2-1/4 inches (broadwinged katydid) as adults; crickets are about 0.6-1 inch long. A specific adult body-length figure for grasshoppers was not stated on the UC IPM pages checked.
- Bites or stings: Not covered by the sources we opened; handle unknown bugs with care.
- Where you find them: Grasshoppers occur outdoors; adult females lay eggs in soil in undisturbed sites such as grassy foothills, ditch banks, roadsides, fencerows, pasture areas, and alfalfa fields, and can migrate into gardens.
How to tell it is one of the grasshoppers/crickets/katydids
- Grasshoppers have relatively short antennae, while crickets and katydids (same order) have long antennae.
- Katydids resemble grasshoppers but have more slender antennae nearly as long as or longer than the body.
- Katydids rest during the day and feed at night, unlike day-active grasshoppers.
- Crickets are shiny black or brown, 0.6-1 inch long, with long antennae, and are nocturnal (require shelter by day).
- Grasshoppers are distinguished by hind legs with greatly enlarged, jumping-adapted femurs.
Pest or beneficial?
Grasshoppers are considered among the most difficult garden insect pests to manage; they are sporadic pests that can build large populations and migrate into gardens.
Where they turn up
Grasshoppers occur outdoors; adult females lay eggs in soil in undisturbed sites such as grassy foothills, ditch banks, roadsides, fencerows, pasture areas, and alfalfa fields, and can migrate into gardens.
How to photograph it for identification
Get as close as your camera will focus, from directly above, in daylight or a bright lamp. Include the whole body with the legs and antennae in frame; a second shot from the side shows wings and body segments. Put a coin or ruler next to it for scale. For a bite or a bug found on skin or bedding, photograph the bug itself, not the mark. The app names the likely group; use the list above to confirm.
FAQ
Do grasshoppers/crickets/katydids bite or sting?
The sources we opened for this group do not describe bites or stings. Treat any bug you cannot identify with care and avoid handling it bare-handed.
What is the quickest way to recognize grasshoppers/crickets/katydids?
Grasshoppers have relatively short antennae, while crickets and katydids (same order) have long antennae.
Are grasshoppers/crickets/katydids a pest?
Grasshoppers are considered among the most difficult garden insect pests to manage; they are sporadic pests that can build large populations and migrate into gardens.
More in What Kind of Bug Is This? Common Bug Groups
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- True Bug Identification: Telling It From Look-Alikes
- Ant Identification: How to Tell Ants From Look-Alikes
- Termite Identification: How to Tell Termites From Look-Alikes
- Aphid Identification: How to Tell Aphids From Look-Alikes
- Cockroach Identifier: Which Roach Do You Have?
- Earwig Identification: How to Tell Earwigs From Look-Alikes
- Silverfish Identification: Telling It From Look-Alikes
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Sources
- UC IPMipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/grasshoppers/
- UC IPMipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/katydids/
- UC IPMipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/crickets/
- UC IPMipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74103.html
Compiled by the InsectLens editorial team
Every fact on this page is taken from the sources listed above; numbers and prices are copied from the source, and prices name the guide or auction and its date. Research and drafting were assisted by AI, and each claim was then checked against the cited sources. Checked 2026-09-10. We do not buy, sell or grade items; the app identifies what you photograph and points you to these references.