Grasshoppers playing the violin

The meadow grasshopper plays its body like a violin. The sound is produced by rubbing the inner surface of the back leg against the edges of the forewing. The hind leg functions like a bow while the forewing acts as a taut string making a loud chirruping sound. On a warm summer day we may have a whole orchestra in our garden!

The meadow grasshopper or scientifically known Chorthippus parallelus is a common species of grasshoppers found in well vegetated areas of Europe and some parts of Asia. It is a member of the slant faced grasshopper group, which contain a number of species that stridulate.