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The Orthoptera, grasshoppers and locusts, are foliage feeders (defoliators) in both the nymphal and adult stages The mole crickets, Gryllotalpa africana, are polyphagous insects. They occur in all rice environments but are most prevalent on young seedlings in non-flooded upland rice when the fields are damp. Both the nymphal and adult stages attach to rice stems below the ground and close to the roots where they cut the tillers. Damage is evident a few days later when tillers begin to dry. The entire seedling dies if attack is severe. There are many grasshopper species attacking rice in addition to other crops in West Africa. Grasshoppers are localized in dry regions and rarely cause significant damage other than along field margins where they chew angular holes in leaves causing damage like that caused by leaffolders and army worms. Nearly 30 grasshopper species belonging to the short-horned (Acrididae and Pyrgomorphidae) and long-horned (Tettigoniidae) families attack rice in West Africa. Key characters for the identification of the orthopteran species include the antennae, tarsi, head, foreleg, fastigium. elytron, femur, eyes and pronotum.