Grasshopper
Grasshoppers are a type of small insect that can commonly seen in all parts of the Material Planes.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Grasshoppers have the typical insect body plan of head, thorax and abdomen. The head is held vertically at an angle to the body, with the mouth at the bottom. The head bears a large pair of compound eyes which give all-round vision, three simple eyes which can detect light and dark, and a pair of thread-like antennae that are sensitive to touch and smell. The downward-directed mouthparts are modified for chewing and there are two sensory palps in front of the jaws.
The thorax and abdomen are segmented and have a rigid cuticle made up of overlapping plates composed of chitin. The three fused thoracic segments bear three pairs of legs and two pairs of wings. The forewings, known as tegmina, are narrow and leathery while the hindwings are large and membranous, the veins providing strength. The legs are terminated by claws for gripping. The hind leg is particularly powerful; the femur is robust and has several ridges where different surfaces join and the inner ridges bear stridulatory pegs in some species. The posterior edge of the tibia bears a double row of spines and there are a pair of articulated spurs near its lower end. The interior of the thorax houses the muscles that control the wings and legs.
The abdomen has eleven segments, the first of which is fused to the thorax and contains the tympanal organ and hearing system. Segments two to eight are ring-shaped and joined by flexible membranes. Segments nine to eleven are reduced in size; segment nine bears a pair of cerci and segments ten and eleven house the reproductive organs. Female grasshoppers are normally larger than males, with short ovipositors. The name of the suborder "Caelifera" comes from Old Darseric and means chisel-bearing, referring to the shape of the ovipositor.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Grasshoppers prefer to eat grasses, leaves and cereal crops, but many grasshoppers are omnivorous eating other incescts and Invertebrates. Many grasshoppers eat from several host plants in one day, while others stay on one host plant. When grasshoppers swarn, they turn in a locust, capable of devouring entire fields in mere hours.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Like most other insects, the exact origin of grasshoppers on Edora is unknown. Unlike other incects, grasshoppers can be encountered in otherwheres like those created by Rope Trick or by Demiplane. Some who ventured into the Astral Plane report encountering grasshoppers there as well as more intelligent species.
Current Date: 2nd of Latsum, 1572
Genetic Descendants
Lifespan
~1 year
Average Length
0.3 - 2.7 inches (1 - 7 cm)
Geographic Distribution
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