"Cricket, Lovely Cricket"

I spotted these tiny, aphid-sized, Speckled Bush Cricket nymphs yesterday. I would imagine that they are the first instar. They're so sweet and can already leap a long way.

I first encountered the word saltation in relation to the study of rivers at school. The saltation load of a river is loose particles that bounce along the river bed, coming from the Latin saltere, to leap. Crickets and grasshoppers belong to the order Saltatoria from the same root.

I love photographing these insects and will be posting more pics of Jiminy and Cri-Kee in future as they moult and grow.

Always let your conscience be your guide. ;)

PS. Oh and I learnt today that crickets have ears on their knees. :)