Unlike humans, grasshoppers do not have ears on the side of their head. Grasshoppers have a different location for their ears, the sides of the abdomen.In the giant lubber grasshopper, the abdominal segment next to the thorax (behind the third pair of legs) contains the grasshopper sound detection organ. Like the ears of people and the “ears” of katydids, the grasshopper sound detector is a thin membrane called a tympanum. (People often call it the “ear drum”). The tympanum, like the surrounding cuticle is a cellular secretion, but its properties are different. The membrane is tough, but not as hard or thick as the surrounding cuticle. Although difficult to puncture, the membrane is less strong than cuticle. In adults, the tympanum is covered and protected by the wings.
