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American Museum of Natural History

Front View of an Insect (Grasshopper) Head

grasshoper_head

Ocellus: Tiny simple eye that detects differences in light intensity. 
Compound eye: Large faceted eye. 
Antenna: Segmented appendage attached to the head above the mouthparts, with important sensory functions, including touch, smell, and in some cases hearing. 
Gena: The sides of the head below the compound eyes. 
Frons: The front part of the head between the compound eyes and the mouthparts. 
Clypeus: A part of the head in between the frons and the labrum.
Mandibles

Mandible: The part of the jaw used for chewing.

Labrum

Labium: The lower jaw.

Maxillae

Palps: Segmented structures that extend from the maxillae and labium.

  • More About This Resource...

    • This illustrated guide to a grasshopper's head is designed to help students recognize and learn the many parts found on an insect's head. The single Web page, which can be easily printed for use at field sites or in the lab, also includes a short description for the following labeled parts:

      • ocellus
      • compound eye
      • antenna
      • gena
      • frons
      • clypeus
      • mandible
      • labrum
      • labium
      • palps

    • Completion Time

      Less than 1 period

    • Teacher Tip

      Supplement a study of biodiversity with an activity drawn from this illustrated guide of a grasshopper head.

      1. Distribute copies of Front View of an Insect (Grasshopper) Head to students.
      2. Divide the class into small groups, assigning one of more of the parts to each group—for example, palps or mandible.
      3. Have the students research grasshoppers, focusing on the role their assigned parts play in the insect's survival, and then report their findings to the class.

    • Topic

      Biology

    • Subtopic

      Animals