Starry bush-cricket (Leptophyes bellacantrix)
The starry bush-cricket is a descendant of the speckled bush-cricket. It is one of the first animal species to split off in this world, emerging only a few thousand years post-seeding. It can be found all over the Origin island except for the high, snowy altitudes.
Description: It is triple the size of its ancestor, reaching about 4-5 centimeters in length with its antennae being about as long as its body. It has a short pair of wings that are too small for it to fly. It is typically a shade of green, yellow, or orange with brown legs. It also has a black stripe along its side, sandwiched between a brown dorsal stripe and green side stripe. Its entire body is always covered in tiny black spots. Nymphs appear as smaller, wingless versions of the adult.
Diet: It feeds exclusively on plant matter, especially grasses and leaves.
Behaviour: It is active during dusk and nighttime. Massive colonies can be found inside giant, tangled cinquefoil bushes. When a predator is near, nymphs will become motionless while adults will quickly run or leap away.
Life cycle & reproduction: A nymph will molt six times before becoming sexually mature. When its mature, it looks for a mate. By rubbing its wings together, the bush-cricket plays an ultrasonic song. Prospective mates will sing back as they attempt to locate each other.
During copulation, the male delivers a sack of sperm called a spermatophore to the female. The female will then eat this spermatophore. To increase the likelihood of his sperm fertilizing her before she eats it all, the sack is surrounded in a nutritious, sperm-free substance often referred to as a nuptial gift. Unlike nuptial gifts from the speckled bush-crickets which have no nutritional value, the starry bush-cricket's nuptial gift contains protein which helps ensure the offspring are healthy and strong.
After mating, the female will lay a batch of eggs inside of a soft or dying plant stem or beneath fallen leaves. She may lay up to 150 eggs before she dies. The eggs stay dormant through the winter before hatching in spring.
Satellite bush-cricket (Leptophyes bellacantrix silfaelis)
The satellite bush-cricket is a wingless subspecies of the starry bush-cricket. The two regularly interbreed and create hybrid offspring, although these hybrids are less likely to be healthy.
Description: It looks like a smaller, wingless version of the starry bush-cricket. Often, it will be darker in color too. It has visible spines along its hind legs; an adapted defense against predators.
Behaviour: Since it has no wings, it cannot sing to attract a mate. Instead, it will follow the songs of starry bush-cricket. Male satellite bush-crickets will orbit around male starry bush-crickets, attempting to steal any prospective mates who are attracted by his singing.