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In celebration of (tasty) grasshoppers

Posted by on June 27, 2014

By Rebecca Nesbit, press officer at the Society of Biology, co-ordinator of the flying ant survey and BioArtAttack competition, and keen entomophagist.

There is a lot to celebrate about insects, not just the services they provide for us, but the incredible feats they accomplish. As National Insect Week draws to a close, it is a good excuse to celebrate the mini-beasts which run the world. My chosen subject is the grasshopper, following this artistic creation my colleagues at the Society of Biology created as a BioArtAttack.BioArtAttack grasshopper

Interesting facts about grasshoppers:

They make their sounds by rubbing their wings or legs together.

They can jump 20 times the length of their body.

There are over 10,000 different species worldwide, and locusts are one of them.

Grasshoppers have been around for 200 million years – they had evolved before the dinosaurs.

Grasshoppers are closely related to crickets, but have much shorter antennae.

Grasshoppers and crickets make noises by stridulating (rubbing the hind leg against the wing) and crepitating (snapping the wing in flight).

Grasshoppers and crickets can make great food, and insects are better for the environment than other types of meat.

So, please help us celebrate the insect world with BioArtAttack. The competition is open to everyone under the age of 18, but we would love to see works of art from adults too. We are enjoying all the entries we have received so far, and I look forward to seeing the creations from other people who believe that insects are beautiful.

 

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