About the MOC
Akrida is Greek for Grasshopper(Spelled ακρίδα and pronounced Akrilla). I went with Greek because in ancient Greece the Grasshopper was a sign of nobility and wisdom. In Chinese culture the grasshopper is seen as an omen of fertility and good luck, especially in having a son, which is highly valued in Chinese families. Though I liked the Greek name more so Akrida it is.
The inspiration for Akrida came over time. After dismantling Relik I had the idea to build a Steampunk themed frog with a rider. After considering that several MOCers have made frogs before, like Welcometothedarksyde's Wrebbit, I thought on what else I could make that would fit the concept and I thought of a grasshopper. Then I looked up “Bionicle Grasshopper” and more generically “bionicle insect” on various places and found that no one had built a grasshopper yet(at least that I found), so that settled it for me. I’m still debating on whether or not I want to make a rider for this thing. Its wasn’t exactly built with having a rider in mind. Though that’s sort of how I would go about it, create animal->build saddle around animal, just like real life. If I do make a rider for it, I’ve already got some ideas on how to make the saddle so that it “fits” the Grasshopper mount. The rider itself is still a mystery to me.
Bio
canonical note
Biosector01 mentions a “Grasshopper-like” rahi that Takua fights in Ga-wahi. While no other mention of any Grasshopper creatures are mentioned, there is at least one canonical Grasshopper Rahi in the bionicle universe. The Wiki also refers to them as “cliff Bug” which I will say is what they’re commonly referred to in the bionicle world by sentient being.
"Cliff Bugs as they’re more commonly referred to are insect-like rahi that inhabit a few different territories within the Matoran Universe and Spherus Magna(post migration). They can be found in wet bioms like Ga-wahi, and the swamps of Le-wahi. They typically like moist well vegetated areas.
Akrida are a unique type of Cliff Bug in that they grow substantially larger than average cliff bugs. This makes them much more formidable in the wild and moves them higher up on the food chain. Akrida are favored amongst the Le-Matoran who like to make use of animal mounts where ever possible. Some Le-matoran prefer to ride Gukko birds, but some prefer Akrida for their ability to traverse land, while also being able to leap great distances to the point that it almost seems like they can fly as well. Smaller cliff bugs can fly, but due to their larger size, Akrida cannont. Because both rahi are kept in stables and captivity, they co-habitate quite peacefully and often times form bonds.
Being Herbivores, they don’t attack other animals unless provoked. Though when they are, they make a loud hissing noise as a warning. They will bite with their large mandibles and attack with the spikes on the back of their legs. Neither of these are meant for attacking prey so they’re not lethal per say, but can still cause injury or death in extreme situations. Average Cliff bugs are preyed on quite often by most other rahi in the wild. Akrida are still prone to being preyed on, but a lot less due to their relative size and ability to leap great distances. This keeps them alive most of the time. Only truly apex predators stand a chance of making Akridas a meal.
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