Jumping performance of Locusta migratoria and relationship between jumping performance and ground roughness

Locusts are famous for its excellent jumping performance. Jumping helps locusts avoid predators and initiate flight. In this paper, high-speed videos are recorded to analyze the jumping performance of Locusta migratoria Linnaeus from ground with different roughness. By the established simplified theoretical model, we calculated L.migratoria normally can get 1.8318 m/s takeoff velocity and maximum acceleration about 66.72 m/s 2 with takeoff angle at about 36°. Locusts are prone to slip when jumping from smooth surface especially for locusts with only one leg. The analyzed results show that locusts can increase their takeoff acceleration to get bigger takeoff velocity to adapt to different terrains, and takeoff velocity has no connection with takeoff angle while bigger takeoff angle have the possibility to help locusts to jump successfully with only one leg left or from smooth surface.