The figures were created in Aldus Freehand 3.1 by Chris Reilley. The insects featured on the cover of DNS and BIND are grasshoppers. Grasshoppers are found all over the globe. Grasshoppers are greenish-brown, and range in length from a half inch to four inches, with wingspans of up to six inches. Their hind legs have a ridge of small pegs which are rubbed across a hardened vein in the forewing, causing an audible vibration much like a bow being drawn across a string.
Grasshoppers are major crop pests, particularly when they collect into swarms.
A single grasshopper can consume 30 mg of food a day. In addition to consuming foliage, grasshoppers attack plants at vulnerable points and cause the stems to break off.