Garden Hopper

The Garden Hopper is a variety of grasshopper that looks akin to a preying mantis, but is purely herbivorous. Known for their ability to leap extremely long but not quite fly thanks to their long wings, and their proclivities of establishing small gardens of fungi that they eat on and tend to, garden hoppers are still quite rare on the island and not present in large numbers or colonies.

Description

Garden Hoppers look somewhat like smaller western species of grasshoppers, with two paired sets of main limbs and very springy digigrade rear legs. They have small hooked pincers which are used for grappling and tending and small fangs. They are roughly three centimeters long on average, known for quick beating wings which flap rapidly, and with springing leaps they can go for extended distances of several dozen yards of flight quite easily. They are not, however, able to climb trees or plants and are mostly found at ground level.

Habitat, Behavior, and Diet

Garden Hoppers are completely herbivorious, and have a preferred diet of local fungi. They tend to small 'groves' of fungi which they are known to weed and chase other insects away from and tend to it. They are known to prefer to 'plant' said fungi in damp areas deep in the forest which get excess moisture, and are often found in areas of heavy moss. Garden Hoppers are known for their ability to leap and glide long distances, which helps to make up for their inability to climb in avoiding predators.

They tend to cluster in small colonies which tend to a patch of fungi and moss. Being a seasonal insect, when the weather starts to change they will lay patches of eggs near the fungi which when spring comes will hatch a new pod which will take over the maintenance of the fungal patch. It is extremely rare for the same clutch to survive more than a single spring and summer.

They are considered quite tasty when fried, but their small numbers, tendency to only come out at night and that they primarily live in dark, damp sections of the forest makes it difficult to locate them in large numbers. As well for their ability to leap and scramble very far very quickly makes it difficult to gather them, and so they remain a small, but fond snack. They are known for occasionally entering into almost symbiotic partnerships with Harvest Ants in helping to tend to patches of fungi near established colonies.