Acridid (Orthoptera: Acrididae) diversity and distribution in the eastern plain of Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Acridids are cosmopolitan, active, diurnal and voracious phytophagous insects in both larval and adult stages. These insects are generally known as a pest in agricultural farms and are accountable for locust attacks and outbreak situations. The current study reported on the distribution and diversity of acridids in the semiarid eastern plain, Rajasthan. The study area was surveyed from April 2021 to September 2021 and observed 17 acridids representing 14 genera, 7 subfamilies, and 10 tribes of the Acrididae family. The species abundance, distribution, and their relationship with abiotic factors (temperature, humidity, and rainfall) are also discussed. The subfamily Hemiacridinae was the most abundant, with the species Hieroglyphus nigrorepletus that was responsible for grasshopper outbreaks in agricultural farms. Subfamily Gomphocerinae was found to be the least abundant, whereas subfamily Oedipodinae had the highest species richness in the research area. Shannon Diversity Index (H’), Simpson’s Diversity Index (D’), Dominance, and Evenness were calculated as, 1.294, 0.4951, 0.5049, and 0.2146, respectively, indicating that acridids are quite diverse in the surveyed area.