Who is The Grasshopper from James and the Giant Peach and what is their importance?

The Grasshopper is one of the insects James meets inside of the Giant Peach. When James first sees the Grasshopper, he is terrified because the grasshopper is as large as a dog. As the novel progresses, James learns much about the Old-Green-Grasshopper, including the facts that his body is like a living violin, and that his ears are small slits in his belly.