hoppers

The term hopper is a common name applied to several jumping insects across different groups. In everyday usage it often refers to grasshoppers (suborder Caelifera) and their swarming relatives, known for powerful hind legs used to leap. It is also used for other sap-sucking insects that hop, including leafhoppers, planthoppers, froghoppers (spittlebugs), and treehoppers, which belong to the Hemiptera. These insects vary in size, habitat, and feeding habits, but most share the habit of jumping to escape threats. All of these groups undergo incomplete metamorphosis, with life cycles that progress from egg to nymph to winged or wingless adult, depending on species.

Hoppers as storage containers: In industry, a hopper is a funnel-shaped receptacle used to store and dispense bulk materials such as grain, coal, or plastic pellets. They enable gravity-assisted feeding into processing lines and are used across agriculture, manufacturing, and mining. Design issues include material compatibility, flow properties of the contents, and measures to prevent issues such as bridging or rat-holing, as well as ease of cleaning and inspection. Hoppers range from small feeder bins to large silo structures and may incorporate outlets, level sensors, vibrations, or agitation devices to control discharge.