Grasshoppers usually obtain energy by consuming only the leaves of living plants. However, we unexpectedly observed a female grasshopper (Parapodisma mikado) feeding on the carcass of a Japanese pit viper (Gloydius blomhoffii) lying on a paved road.

Why was a female P mikado (normally a herbivorous species) eating a snake’s corpse? This seemingly peculiar behavior might have been driven in part by nutritional demands. Although plants possess all the nutrients required by herbivorous insects, the level of nutrients – specifically nitrogen – contained therein is often inadequate for optimal development. Corpses have high nitrogen levels and are potentially attractive to herbivores like this grasshopper, which may have fed on this carcass to overcome a nutritional deficiency. Thus, necrophagy (the act of eating corpses) may be more widespread among grasshoppers than previously recognized. Does supplemental necrophagy have positive effects on the survival, growth, and reproduction of P mikado? The question warrants further investigation.

蚱usually通常只消耗活植物的叶子来获取能量。但是，我们出乎意料地观察到一只雌蚱grass（Parapodisma mikado）靠一条铺满路面的日本Japanese蛇（Gloydius blomhoffii）的the体为食。

为什么雌性P mikado（通常是草食性物种）正在吃蛇的尸体？这种看似特殊的行为可能部分是由于营养需求所致。尽管植物具有食草昆虫所需的全部营养，但是其中所含的营养（尤其是氮）水平通常不足以实现最佳发育。尸体中的氮含量很高，并且可能对这种食草动物等草食动物具有吸引力，而这种食草动物可能会以这种this体为食，以克服营养不足。因此，在蚱hopper中死尸（进食尸体的行为）可能比以前认识到的更为广泛。并补充尸癖对生存，成长的积极作用，并再现P天皇？这个问题值得进一步调查。