External Anatomy Lab
In this lab you will examine a preserved grasshopper and learn to recognize and identify the various parts of an insect’s body.
Objectives
The main objectives of this lab are to help you
- learn to recognize and identify sclerites, sutures, and other external features of an insect’s body
- correlate structure with function in the legs, wings, and antennae of representative insects
- distinguish different types of mouthparts and explain how they are adapted for different kinds of food
Materials
You will need the following materials for this lab
- Preserved grasshopper
- Stereoscopic microscope or hand lens
- Scalpel or single-edged razor blade
- Insect pins or dissecting needles
- Small forceps or tweezers
Introduction
Lubber grasshoppers (Romalea microptera) are large, heavily sclerotized insects with relatively unspecialized bodies. Like all members of the order Orthoptera, they are herbivores. Their mouthparts are adapted for biting and chewing, and they have large powerful hind legs used for jumping. As adults, lubber grasshoppers have short wings that are incapable of flight. The wings are used to signal receptivity during courtship.
Your grasshopper is preserved in a mixture of alcohol and glycerin. Rinse it thoroughly in running water before examining it under the microscope or hand lens.
Activities
Gross Anatomy
The insect’s body is divided into three functional regions (tagmata): head, thorax, and abdomen. Appendages of the head include the mouthparts and the antennae. Appendages of the thorax include the legs and the wings.





