Caelifera

Caelifera is a suborder of the order Orthoptera that comprises grasshoppers and their close relatives. In common usage they are known as short-horned grasshoppers, a contrast to Ensifera, the other orthopteran suborder that includes crickets and katydids. Caelifera species occur in a wide range of habitats worldwide, from deserts and grasslands to forests and agricultural landscapes.

Most caelifera are terrestrial herbivores with powerful hind legs adapted for jumping. Antennae are typically shorter than the body, and many species have wings that range from fully developed to reduced or absent. Like other Orthoptera, they undergo incomplete metamorphosis, with life stages including egg, nymph, and adult. Nymphs resemble small adults and molt through several instars before reaching maturity.

Ecology and behavior vary across the group. Many species feed on grasses and herbaceous plants, and some become agricultural pests, with locust swarms among the best known examples. Locust outbreaks can result from favorable environmental conditions that trigger rapid population growth and collective movement. Caelifera also play a role in ecosystems as herbivores, prey for birds and small mammals, and as hosts for various parasites and parasitoids.

Taxonomy within Orthoptera places Caelifera as a major suborder containing multiple superfamilies and families, including Acridoidea and Acrididae (the short-horned grasshoppers), as well as groups such as Tetrigidae (pygmy grasshoppers or ground-hoppers) and Pamphagidae. Classifications vary among sources, but the basic distinction remains: Caelifera are the short-horned grasshoppers, differing in morphology and often in behavior from Ensifera.