Ken,
The plant is hanging from an oak limb outside. Most of the roots are above the medium on the surface. The angle of the plant slopes downward slightly. Outside there is no barrier between plants and grasshoppers, so if they land on something they will chew on it if it's something they like to eat. Some plants they don't bother, but most plants will at least be tasted. Here the Differential grasshoppers are by far the most damaging, but so far they aren't the ones eating the orchid. The last culprit was a smaller type.
As for that leaf, I'm sort of assuming it's providing some nutrients as long as it is firmly attached and not crispy dry. At this point in the life of this particular plant, I'm letting it run the course naturally. I'm not overly concerned about the aesthetics at this time, more with the plant being as healthy as possible going into winter.
