On the blooming coneflowers, a Two-striped Grasshopper Melanoplus bivittatus rests in the sunshine. This grasshopper usually lives in sunny, moist, lush, weedy or meadow areas -- like the wetland around the pond. They eat a wide variety of plants, and sometimes also dead animal matter on the ground. They require unsaturated fatty acids in their diet since these nutrients help keep their wings strong and rigid.
