There are six species of grasshopper in Norfolk, all of which have distinctive songs (made by rubbing their wings and legs together) and precise habitat requirements. When identifying a grasshopper, first rule out the bush-crickets, which have long filamentous antennae, and the groundhoppers, which are relatively scarce and in which the pronotum (the shield over the first segment of the thorax) is very long and has a roof-like ridge running along it.
Once you are sure your insect is a grasshopper, look for a reddish tip to the abdomen and obvious hairiness on the insect’s lower surface, both of which are characteristic of the field grasshopper. On each species of grasshopper in Norfolk there is a unique pattern of stripes on the upper surface of the shield covering the thorax (the pronotum). In the field grasshopper the two stripes are sharply incurved, giving the appearance from above of a tight-waisted dress.
Female field grasshoppers are much larger than males and are among the largest grasshoppers in the UK.