Orthopt

## Statistics

**Orthopts** /ɔrˈθɔpt/ (awr-THAWPT) are a spacefaring race of arthropoid organisms. Their home planet is Koput in the Khthorn system.

Orthopts often make use of voice synthesizers when interacting with other species to make up for their lack of vocal chords.

A group of orthopts is called a chorus; this stems from one of their languages having the same word for both a crowd and a chorus. Khthorn is a transliteration from one of the orthoptian musical languages and means "garden".

## Biology

### Physiology

Orthopts superficially resemble earth insects and arthropods. The body is composed of segments which can be grouped into three regions: head, thorax and abdomen; it is supported by an exoskeleton made primarily of highly mineralized chitin. The head bears a large pair of compound eyes, with three smaller ones between them. Above the eyes and behind a pair of feeding appendages is the mouth; extending from it is the tongue, which serves the role of an antenna, sensitive to touch and smell. The upper, frontal pair of arms are very insect-like, while the lower, side pair more closely resemble human arms. In each frontal arm is a hole containing the timpani they use to hear, which work similarly to human ears.

Without vocal chords, they communicate through a mixture of sign language and stridulation, producing sounds by rubbing their wings against each other.

Despite the resemblance to earth arthropods they have a closed circulatory system. They breathe through a brachiostegal lung, with tissue similar to that found in gills, but suited to the absorption of oxygen from air, rather than water. In addition to that, they also have an additional rudimentary set of gills.

They are unable to swallow solids and live on a pure liquid diet.

### Lifecycle

After mating, a female lays a batch of eggs in a pod using her ovipositor. The eggs hatch after 3 months of development, all within a few minutes of each other. Shortly after emerging, the nymph sheds their membrane and their exoskeletons harden.

Orthopts undergo incomplete metamorphosis: an orthopt emerges from the egg as a nymph, then repeatedly moults, going through six instars before becoming an adult. The nymph stage lasts from 6 to 7 years, each instar lasting roughly a year. After reaching maturity, orthopts stop molting periodically; adult molting only occurs as a response to serious injury, allowing damaged tissue and missing limbs to be regenerated or substantially re-formed, which may require a series of moults. The moulting process occurs entirely in water, which allows the individual to grow larger and helps support their weight. After moulting, the exoskeleton can take from 1 to 3 weeks to harden, depending on size and age. During this period the body is soft and vulnerable.

## Culture

Fabrics and textiles have great cultural significance in all orthoptian civilizations. In most cases, plain clothing is rarely worn by the wealthy, who opt for clothes with colorful geometric designs or patterns, a sign of status in these cultures. In contrast, plain clothes are actually preferred in cultures that value modesty.

Many of their cultures see intrinsic beauty in light, especially natural light. This idea is shown in their architecture, where residential, public, and commercial buildings are designed to allow for sunlight to provide internal lighting. Orthoptian architecture favors spacious open floor plans. Skylights are present as prominent features in most buildings. Walls are painted in light colors and are lined with consciously-placed windows. Stained glass and mirrors are featured as decorative elements. Other common features include: laylights, light shelves, atriums, light tubes, and translucent walls.