Dictyophorus spumans, the koppie foam grasshopper, is a species of
grasshopper in the family
Pyrgomorphidae, indigenous to southern Africa. The name "foam grasshopper" derives from the insect's ability to produce a toxic foam from its
thoracic glands, using a combination of
hemolymph with air from the grasshopper's
spiracles. Adult males are typically 4.5 to 5 centimetres (1.8 to 2.0 inches) long, and females typically 5 to 7 centimetres (2.0 to 2.8 inches), but individual grasshoppers can grow up to a length of 8 centimetres (3.1 inches). This grasshopper of the subspecies D. s. spumans was photographed in the
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in
Roodepoort, South Africa.Photograph credit:
Charles J. Sharp
Hurricane Beryl, the earliest-recorded
Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in a calendar year, leaves at least 15 people dead in the
Caribbean, Venezuela, and the United States.
Neologisms are words and terms that have recently been "coined" and generally do not appear in any dictionary. Avoid using neologisms when creating articles on Wikipedia unless they are part of the subject being covered and need to be explained; in such a case, be sure to define the new words! Neologisms include words made up on the spot and these should never be used in a Wikipedia article. Wikipedia relies on established English to explain its subjects. It is important that every word in Wikipedia can be understood by those who read it. This ensures that Wikipedia always conveys accessible and meaningful knowledge.
Dictyophorus spumans, the koppie foam grasshopper, is a species of
grasshopper in the family
Pyrgomorphidae, indigenous to southern Africa. The name "foam grasshopper" derives from the insect's ability to produce a toxic foam from its
thoracic glands, using a combination of
hemolymph with air from the grasshopper's
spiracles. Adult males are typically 4.5 to 5 centimetres (1.8 to 2.0 inches) long, and females typically 5 to 7 centimetres (2.0 to 2.8 inches), but individual grasshoppers can grow up to a length of 8 centimetres (3.1 inches). This grasshopper of the subspecies D. s. spumans was photographed in the
Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden in
Roodepoort, South Africa.Photograph credit:
Charles J. Sharp
Hurricane Beryl, the earliest-recorded
Category 5 Atlantic hurricane in a calendar year, leaves at least 15 people dead in the
Caribbean, Venezuela, and the United States.
Neologisms are words and terms that have recently been "coined" and generally do not appear in any dictionary. Avoid using neologisms when creating articles on Wikipedia unless they are part of the subject being covered and need to be explained; in such a case, be sure to define the new words! Neologisms include words made up on the spot and these should never be used in a Wikipedia article. Wikipedia relies on established English to explain its subjects. It is important that every word in Wikipedia can be understood by those who read it. This ensures that Wikipedia always conveys accessible and meaningful knowledge.