This colophon was written by Michael Kalantarian. 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 that 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 in swarms.
A single grasshopper can consume 30mg of food a day. In addition to consuming foliage, grasshoppers damage plants by attacking them at vulnerable points and causing the stems to break off.