KOTA BHARU, May 2 — In this age of AI and information technology, the phenomenon of keeping and competing exotic insect known as ‘deer grasshoppers’ is still a seasonal hobby here and has the potential to be promoted as the identity and sustainable cultural heritage of the state of Kelantan.

Head of the Department of Veterinary Preclinical Science Studies, Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK), Dr Goh Soon Heng said the trend is increasingly gaining ground among the younger generation as it is an affordable hobby, apart from playing an important role in strengthening local community ties.

“Originally, these grasshoppers were commonly found in rural areas and people used to enjoy listening to their sounds. From just a hobby of collecting, it has now evolved into a competition that aims to unite the grasshopper fan community.

“The participation of young people is very important because they are the ones who will ensure that this heritage continues to grow and is organised every year,” he told Bernama recently.

Commenting on the competition format, Goh explained that the winner is not judged at all based on the physical size of the grasshopper, but rather the focus is on the uniqueness and frequency of the hissing sound produced.

“This competition is very unique because it is usually held at night with the lights turned off. Participants cannot see the grasshoppers, they can only hear their sounds.

“The assessment is divided into two main categories, namely the melodiousness of the tone and the frequency of the sound. The judges will count how many hissing sounds the grasshopper can produce in a period of 30 seconds,” he explained.

Touching on the scientific aspect, Goh shared that adult locusts can grow up to eight centimetres and have an average lifespan of around 11 to 12 months.

For the captive breeding process, it requires the provision of a conducive small ecosystem, including a variety of leaf food sources and a medium such as soil or sticks for the female grasshoppers to lay eggs.

He also explained the important role of this endemic insect in the ecosystem chain, where it acts as a controller of the population of wild plants and harmful weeds in the bush area, in addition to being a food source for birds and other insectivorous animals.

“Conflict will only arise when their original habitat is destroyed. Without a natural food source, these locusts will move to vegetable farms and risk becoming pests,” he said.

Meanwhile, he also corrected the public’s misunderstanding about the practice of eating grasshoppers.

According to him, the species that is usually fried and eaten by villagers is the ‘turmeric grasshopper’ found in rice fields, not deer grasshopper.

Although this activity is seen to be increasingly popular, Goh advised the community not to overexploit the capture of deer grasshoppers in their native habitat to avoid disruption to the ecosystem chain.

“Currently, commercial demand (sales) is not that high because the community prefers to catch them themselves. However, if the wild population starts to decrease one day, the demand to buy them will definitely increase.

“Therefore, studies must always be conducted to understand the impact of this animal. We need to know how fast it reproduces so that we can set a safe catch frequency limit,” he said.

Looking at the projections for the next five to 10 years, Goh is confident that deer grasshopper conservation can survive as a healthy cultural activity, in addition to fostering community awareness to better appreciate the sounds of nature. — Bernama