Secretions Deter Predators

a koppie foam grasshopper is seen on dry dirt with a black, red, and white striped body and colorful green, yellow and red patterns on their wings and legs

Biological Strategy

Eastern lubber grasshopper

AskNature Team

Image: Bernard Dupont / Flickr / Some rights reserved

Protect From Animals

Animals–organisms that range from microscopic to larger than a bus–embody a wide variety of harms to living systems, including other animals. They threaten through predation, herbivory, defense, and parasitism, and they compete for resources such as water, nutrients, and space. Any given living organism commonly faces threats from a variety of animals, requiring strategies that effectively defend from each. Trout and other bony fish, for example, escape predators by having scales made of very thin, flake-like pieces of bone covered with slippery mucus. They also have behavioral strategies such as camouflage, fast swimming, and twisting and turning to achieve release from a predator’s grip.

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Insects

Class Insecta (“an insect”): Flies, ants, beetles, cockroaches, fleas, dragonflies

Insects are the most abundant arthropods—they make up 90% of the animals in the phylum. They’re found everywhere on earth except the deep ocean, and scientists estimate there are millions of insects not yet described. Most live on land, but many live in freshwater or saltwater marshes for part of their life cycles. Insects have three distinct body sections: a head, which has specialized mouthparts, a thorax, which has jointed legs, and an abdomen. They have well-developed nervous and sensory systems, and are the only invertebrate that can fly, thanks to their lightweight exoskeletons and small size.

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Blood secretions of Dictyophorus grasshoppers deter predators by forming a noxious froth when mixed with air.

“A number of insects also release blood in order to deter predators. Some of the most dramatic examples occur among grasshoppers of the genus Dictyophorus. When threatened, hydrostatic pressure within the grasshopper’s body increases, forcing blood plasma out of weak pores in the body’s cuticle. As it emerges, the blood mixes with air and converts into a disgusting froth that covers the insect’s body surface. The froth contains a repellent so noxious that any creature brave enough to attempt to eat this vile-looking insect soon drops it and beats a hasty retreat. Once alone again, the grasshopper reabsorbs much of its blood by decreasing its body’s internal hydrostatic pressure.” (Shuker 2001:130)