Orthoptera Research Articles

Assessment of Bee Diversity and Abundance (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) on Caesalpinia bonduc L. during the Flowering Season in the Southwestern Aravalli Region (Abu Road), Sirohi, Rajasthan, India

The aim of the present study was to document the diversity and abundance of bee species visiting Caesalpinia bonduc (Family: Fabaceae), a plant species found in the foothills of the Aravalli range, in the south-western Rajasthan area of Abu Road Tehsil, Rajasthan, India. The surveys were conducted during the flowering period from July 2021 to September 2021 and again from July 2022 to September 2022. A comprehensive analysis revealed the presence of sixteen bee species (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) visiting Caesalpinia bonduc, belonging to nine different genera and categorized under four families: Apidae, Andrenidae, Halictidae, and Megachilidae. Among these families, Apidae recorded the highest number of bee species, with 11 in total: Amegilla dizona, A. violacea, A. zonata, Apis cerana, A. dorsata, A. florea, Ceratina binghami, Tetragonula iridipennis, Xylocopa aestuans, X. pubescens, and X. fenestrata. The families Megachilidae and Halictidae were each represented by two species: Megachile bicolor, M. cephalotes and Nomia crassipes, Pseudapis oxybeloides respectivily. The highest abundance of all Bee species was recorded between 12.00- 2:00 pm across various time intervals. The highest abundance of Apis florea (13.4 bees/m²/5 minutes) was recorded between 12:00 and 2:00 PM, making it the most abundant species among the 16 bee species observed. At different time intervals, Apis florea consistently recorded the highest number of individuals in each interval. Other entomofauna observed on C. bonduc included Spoladea recurvalis (Fabricius, 1775), Suastus gremius (Fabricius, 1798), Hasora chromus (Cramer, 1780), and Spindasis ictis (Hewitson, 1865), which belong to the order Lepidoptera. Additionally, Poekilocerus pictus (Fabricius, 1775) from the order Orthoptera and Gametis versicolor (Fabricius, 1775) from the order Coleoptera were also recorded.

The white gene as a transgenesis marker for the cricket Gryllus bimaculatus.

The cricket Gryllus bimaculatus is an emerging model insect of the order Orthoptera that is used in a wide variety of biological research themes. This hemimetabolous species appears highly complementary to Drosophila and other well-established holometabolous models. To improve transgenesis applications in G. bimaculatus, we have designed a transformation marker gene inspired from the widespread Drosophila mini-white+. Using CRISPR/Cas9, we first generated a loss-of-function mutant allele of the Gb-white gene (Gb-w), which exhibits a white eye coloration at all developmental stages. We then demonstrate that transgenic insertions of a piggyBac vector containing a 3xP3-Gb-w+ cassette rescue eye pigmentation. As an application, we used this vector to generate G. bimaculatus lines expressing a centromeric histone H3 variant (CenH3.1) fused to EGFP and validated EGFP-CenH3.1 detection at cricket centromeres. Finally, we demonstrate that Minos-based germline transformation and site-specific plasmid insertion with the ΦC31 integrase system function in G. bimaculatus.

Small crickets of New Zealand (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Trigonidiidae and Mogoplistidae), with the description of two new genera and species

Crickets (Order Orthoptera, Infraorder Gryllidea) are under-represented in New Zealand, with a total of eight species identified and formally described thus far. These include three endemic species in the family Trigonidiidae: the trig Trigonidium (Metioche) maoricum (Walker, 1869) and the ground crickets Bobilla nigrova (Swan, 1972) and B. bigelowi (Swan, 1972). Scaly crickets (family Mogoplistidae) are naturally absent in New Zealand, but one species, Ornebius aperta Otte & Alexander, 1983, has established after introduction from Australia in the 1970s. In this work, I re-examine the small crickets (families Trigonidiidae and Mogoplistidae) from New Zealand based on 368 specimens collected throughout the country, their morphology, and their song. In the subfamily Nemobiinae, I provide new diagnostic characters to discriminate between the two native species in the genus Bobilla Otte & Alexander, 1983. Additionally, I identify two species in the genus Pteronemobius Jacobson, 1904; these are P. truncatus (Saussure, 1877) and P. cf. arima Otte & Alexander, 1983, both of which are believed to be recent arrivals from Australia. The latter had been thus far undetected in New Zealand. Finally, I describe two new species of mute Nemobiinae belonging to new monotypic genera, Austronemobius chelatus gen. et sp. nov. and Mutonemobius marmoratus gen. et sp. nov. In the subfamily Trigonidiinae, the species Trigonidium (Metioche) maoricum is moved back to the subgenus Trigonidium (Trigonidium) Rambur, 1838 based on morphology. Amended descriptions are provided for this genus and species. The Australian species Trigonidomorpha sjostedti Chopard, 1925 is synonymised with Trigonidium australianum (Chopard, 1925), and the genus Trigonidomorpha Chopard, 1925 is synonymised with Trigonidium Rambur, 1838. In the family Mogoplistidae, I show that Ornebius aperta has established in the Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki and Coromandel regions. Based on song and morphology of the male terminalia, populations in Northland may belong to a separate species, referred to in this work as Ornebius aff. aperta Otte & Alexander, 1983.

The genome assembly and annotation of the cricket Gryllus longicercus

The order Orthoptera includes insects such as grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets, among which there are important species for ecosystem stability and pollination, as well as research organisms in different fields such as neurobiology, ecology, and evolution. Crickets, with more than 2,400 described species, are emerging as novel model research organisms, for their diversity, worldwide distribution, regeneration capacity, and their characteristic acoustic communication. Here we report the assembly and annotation of the first New World cricket, that of Gryllus longicercus Weissman & Gray 2019. The genome assembly, generated by combining 44.54 Gb of long reads from PacBio and 120.44 Gb of short Illumina reads, has a length of 1.85 Gb. The genome annotation yielded 19,715 transcripts from 14,789 gene models.

Bio-ecology of the bush cricket Tarbinskiellus portentosus (Lichtenstein, 1796) (Insecta: Orthoptera: Gryllidae): a relished edible insect in Nagaland, India

Tarbinskiellus portentosus (Lichtenstein, 1796) (bush cricket), also called “viituo” in the Angami dialect, belongs to the order Orthoptera and the family Gryllidae. It is one of the most common edible insects found in Nagaland and is a potential source of animal protein and other nutrients. Despite being highly preferred as food and relished, studying their ecology, biology, and market potential is nonexistent, at least in Nagaland, India. Therefore, the present study was conducted to fill the knowledge gap on the biology and market potential of T. portentosus. Insects were collected from the wild and reared as stock at 20–25 °C. The results show that T. portentous undergoes seven nymphal instars to fully develop into an adult with an average growth rate of 9.94 ± 2.43 mg/day. T. portentosus is found in the grassland vegetation in burrows up to 800 mm depth. Adult males weigh about 2940 ± 93.0 mg, and females weigh 2980 ± 200 mg. The incubation period of eggs was 33.8 ± 0.96 days and showed a moderate percent of hatching efficiency (45.20 ± 0.28). In laboratory conditions, this cricket completed its life cycle in 341 ± 4.29 days. Collection of adults involves handpicking and pouring water, cleaning involves a gut removal process through head pulling, and preparation for consumption is done by cooking with local spices, fried or roasted. T. portentosus are sold in the local market at INR 300/- for 250–300 g. With scanty information on growth and reproduction, the present study serves as a baseline for future studies on the biology of T. portentosus that may uplift the local market through mass rearing.

The IDENTIFICATION OF INSECT PESTS ON RICE CROPS (ORYZA SATIVA) IN GUNUNG SARIK RICE FIELD

Indonesia is an agrarian country with agriculture as the highest livelihood for its population. The agricultural sector that is the main pillar in Indonesia's food supply is in terms of rice agriculture (Oryza sativa), especially as the global population continues to grow. However, a challenge that often lurks in efforts to increase rice production is the attack of insect pests. Insect pests result in significant crop losses and threaten food security. It is necessary to identify rice pest insects as an effort to extract information on the types of insects that harm agriculture. This study using qualitative descriptive methods aims to determine the types of insect pest species on agricultural land in Gunung Sarik Village as a consideration in proper pest control management, so as to improve the quality and quantity of rice crops in the agricultural land of Gunung Sarik Village. Based on the results of the observations, it was found that types of insect pests come from two different orders, namely hemiptera, which include leafhoppers, walang sangit, and black ants, and the order orthoptera or grasshoppers.

Toxic tasting: how capuchin monkeys avoid grasshoppers’ chemical defenses

Platyrrhines consume many species of arthropods in the order Orthoptera. Some species of orthopterans can produce chemical defenses that render them toxic or unpalatable and thus act as predator deterrents. These species include the stick grasshoppers (family Proscopiidae), which are widely distributed in the Caatinga biome in northeastern Brazil, which comprises part of the distribution of capuchin monkeys. Capuchin monkeys are omnivores and consume a wide variety of foods, including unpleasant-tasting, potentially toxic items, which they need to learn how to process. We describe the processing of stick grasshoppers (Stiphra sp.) by wild capuchin monkeys (Sapajus libidinosus) that live in Serra da Capivara National Park, Brazil, and compare how individuals of different age classes handle these potentially toxic food items. S. libidinosus predominantly avoided consuming the digestive tract, which contains toxic compounds, when feeding on stick grasshoppers. Immatures took longer than adults to process the stick grasshoppers, indicating that capuchins need to learn how to process the toxic digestive tract of these prey to avoid consuming it.

New records of herbivory of Leucothyreus MacLeay, 1819 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Geniatini) on Cecropia Loefl. (Urticaceae)

Species in the genus Cecropia Loefl. (Urticaceae) are important food sources for a handful of species belonging to the insect orders Orthoptera (grasshoppers), Lepidoptera (caterpillars), Hymenoptera (leafcutter ants), and Coleoptera (beetles). Among the leaf chafer beetles, specimens of the scarab genus Leucothyreus MacLeay, 1819 (Scarabaeidae: Geniatini) have been barely recorded as defoliators of Cecropia spp., and information about the identity of the involved plant and beetle species is scarce and imprecise. The present paper records for the first time the incidence of two species of Leucothyreus on four species of Cecropia in Central Amazon (Brazil), with short behavioral notes regarding their feeding habits.

Exceptionally well-preserved orthopteran proventriculi from the Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil

The Crato Formation (Santana Group, Araripe Basin, Brazil) bears a high abundance of fossils in exceptional state of preservation, with insects from the order Orthoptera standing out. However, so far, few studies have explored their preserved inner organs in detail. Here, we provide the first detailed description of fossilized proventriculi from nine Grylloidea (Orthoptera: Ensifera) specimens of the Crato Formation. In all analyzed specimens, the external cuticle of the abdomen is cracked exposing the proventriculi, which are preserved as a tridimensional organ with a globular body and a tubular neck, similar to that of modern crickets. However, in the globular region of all fossils analyzed there are 9–12 rows of parallel divisions, differing from the modern crickets which have, more frequently, six. SEM images of two specimens revealed the exceptional preservation of internal median teeth, folds, and microvilli texture preserved in the organ.

Жоңғар Алатау МҰТП насекомдары (Insecta)

The article presents the results of field research in 2023 on the territory of the Zhongar Alatau SNNP. Field research was carried out on the territory of the Alakol branch, Uygentas forestry, Kipeli gorge, Segizbai Asura, Attapkan, Lepsinsky branch, Zhalagash forestry, uchele Zhalanash, Agynykatta gorge, Lepsinsky branch, Chernovsky forestry, Chernaya Rechka gorge, Lepsinsky branch, Lepsinsky forestry, Steep gorge, Alakol branch, Kokzhar forestry, Kok Zhar gorge, The Sarkand branch, the Topolevsky forestry, the Osynovaja gorge and the Kokzhota gorge. When collecting the material, standard entomological techniques were used – bedbugs were collected from herbaceous plants, shrubs and tree branches with a net; species living on the soil surface, at the roots of plants, in the forest litter, under the bark of trees and various shelters were caught with an exhauster or tweezers. As a result of field research in 2023, 66 insect species of 36 families from 9 orders were identified on the territory of the Zhongar-Alatau GNPP: from the order Heteroptera 6 families of 10 species, from the order Lepidoptera 6 families of 20 species, from the order Raphidioptera 1 family of 1 species, from the order Hymenoptera 7 families of 9 species, from the order Neuroptera 1 family 1 species, from the order Coleoptera 10 families 21 species, from the order Orthoptera 2 families 3 species, from the order Odonata 2 families 2 species, from the order Diptera 1 family 1 species. Among them, the order Lepidoptera (20 species), Coleoptera (19 species), Heteroptera (10 species), Hymenoptera (9 species) are predominant in species composition, only 1-3 species have been identified from the other orders.

Grasshoppers, Crickets and Katydids of Kerala, an updated checklist for the order Orthoptera

An updated checklist of the order Orthoptera of Kerala is provided. Eighty five species have been added to the existing checklist. A total of 215 species and 21 subspecies belonging to 154 genera under 18 families of two suborders are enumerated along with their distributional data across the state. Suborders Caelifera and Ensifera are represented by 127 and 88 species, respectively.

MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF INSECT INTERMEDIATE HOSTS WITH POTENTIAL PARASITE TRANSMISSION TO THE DEFINITIVE HOST NORTHERN BOBWHITE (COLINUS VIRGINIANUS).

Grassland birds have been declining substantially for the past several years. Habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation as well as climate change are all thought to be the main drivers of the decline. However, as the declines continue to accelerate, it is becoming imperative to examine other factors that may contribute to population fluctuations. The nematodes Oxyspirura petrowi, Aulonocephalus pennula, and Physaloptera sp. are commonly found infecting northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), a game species of economic importance, and all 3 nematodes use insects as an intermediate host. Here we used polymerase chain reaction techniques to determine the occurrence of the 3 nematodes in 7 insect orders to uncover epidemiological patterns of the greatest potential for transmission to northern bobwhite. Insects were collected from March through September using sweep nets and pitfall traps. An R × C chi-squared test with Monte Carlo simulation was used to determine differences in the occurrence of the parasites across taxa and time. The results of the statistical analysis showed the nematodes are predominantly found in the order Orthoptera, and A. pennula and Physaloptera sp. showed epidemiological patterns in insects. However, no such pattern was observed with O. petrowi. An explanation for the lack of epidemiological pattern in O. petrowi is proposed and the diversity of known insect hosts of the 3 nematodes is increased.

Hooded Grasshopper Teratodes monticollis (Gray, 1832) Morphometric and Intraspecific Colour Variation from Bonai Forest Division, Odisha, India

Hooded grasshopper belongs to the order Orthoptera and the family Acrididae. It is native to India and Sri Lanka. The hooded grasshopper, Teratodes monticollis, was described as Gryllus monticollis by English zoologist George Robert Gray in 1832. The distribution of this species has been recorded in different parts of Burma, Ceylon, and India. The contemporary reports about records of this species from various states of India are very limited. The authors observed the intraspecific colour variation of Teratodes monticollis in Bonai Forest Division, Odisha, India, and presented it here. It might be due to some abiotic stress in the study areas.

New and little known taxa of the order Orthoptera (Insecta) from the Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic of England

New material of Orthoptera from the Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic of England is considered. Some problems with generic composition and diagnostics of the subfamily Protogryllinae (Protogryllidae) from the suborder Ensifera and of the subfamily Locustopsinae (Locustopsidae) from the suborder Caelifera are discussed. One new genus and two new species are described: Daniilacheta aristovi gen. et sp. nov. (Protogryllinae) and Plesioschwinzia sharovi sp. nov. (Locustopsinae). Some additional species, previously attributed to Locustopsis Handlirsch, are tentatively included in Plesioschwinzia Zessin. New specimens, possibly belonging to Locustopsis spectabilis Zeuner, are briefly described and illustrated.

Orthoptera (Insecta) fauna of the Kashkadarya region, Uzbekistan

Abstract. Nurjaniv AA, Medetof MZH, Kholmatov BR, Abdullahyev II, Tufliyev NKH, Nurjonov FA. 2023. Orthoptera (Insecta) fauna of the Kashkadarya region, Uzbekistan. Biodiversitas 24: 112-121. More than 30,000 different species of orthoptera insects, most of which are found in the tropics and subtropics, are known to exist in the world's fauna. The most extensive among the orthopteroids is the order Orthoptera, which includes more than 20,000 species of insects. Most are herbivores, while others are predators or have a mixed diet. Large size, jumping abilities, and open lifestyle make orthopteran characters accessible to many landscapes. Orthopterans play a significant role in the movement of the energy flow as an important link in biocenosis, connecting secondary consumers with producers. Many species of Orthopterans, especially grasshoppers, are dangerous pests of agriculture. Harm is especially noticeable from those locust species, which could make swarms. The research was carried out in various agro and natural landscapes to determine the species composition of orthopteran insects in the Kashkadarya region. A total of 1274 samples were collected from 11 coordinates in 10 different landscapes during the scientific trips. They comprised 657 females (51.4%), 403 males (31.6%), and 214 nymphs (16.7%). The distribution of 70 species belonging to 50 genera and 7 families of orthopteran insects is discussed in this research. Samples were taken from 6 coordinates in 6 types (cucurbits, orchards, alfalfa, mulberry, vineyards, and mung bean fields) of agro-landscapes and 6 coordinates in 4 natural (plains of the Karshi desert, hills, mountains, and saxaul forests) landscapes. The highest species diversity has been found in orchards, where 129 samples of 20 orthopteran species have been collected in the Guzar district of the Kashkadarya region. The Karshi desert was identified as the landscape with the lowest number of species, with 41 samples of 9 species collected. The average density of insects in the desert was 0.4 per square meter. Two species were found in all 12 coordinates of 10 different landscapes, and 11 were found only once in one coordinate.

The effect of tropical dry forest seasonality on the diversity of insects associated with ferns

Abstract Seasonality is one of the main characteristics of a tropical dry forest that affects the structure of ecological communities. In this context, we evaluated the seasonal diversity of ferns and insects in the tropical dry forest of Morelos, Mexico, to determine whether a relationship exists between the presence of each of these two groups. Hill’s numbers indicated differences in the diversity of both groups according to season. In the rainy season, we recorded the highest diversity of ferns, with 6,471 individuals. In contrast, in the dry season, we recorded only 293 individuals. Regarding the insects, we collected 723 individuals in the rainy season and 171 individuals in the dry season. The order Orthoptera was the most abundant (50%). The best-represented functional group according to feeding guild was that of chewing herbivores. Correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between insect and fern abundances since, for both groups, the minimum abundance was presented in the dry season and the maximum abundance in the rainy season. We recorded 12 orders of insects associated with eight ferns in the rainy season. Seasonal studies that consider different biological groups are necessary to understand how changes in resource availability shape temporal patterns of species diversity.

Fauna of Orthopteroidea (Orthoptera, Dermaptera, Mantodea and Blattodea) of the National Park “Smolny”

The species diversity of insects from the orders Orthoptera, Dermaptera, Mantodea and Blattodea in the National Park “Smolny” (Republic of Mordovia, Ichalki and Bolshoe Ignatovo districts) was studied. It consists of 44 species: Orthoptera (40), Dermaptera (1), Mantodea (1) and Blattodea (2). For the first time for the Republic of Mordovia, two species are noted – Isophya modesta and Oecanthus pellucens. The most common are Ectobius lapponicus, Chorthippus biguttulus, Euthystira brachyptera. Rare are species confined to areas with sparse herbage (Chorthippus pullus, Dociostaurus brevicollis, Myrmeleotettix maculatus), inhabitants of rich meadows and steppes (Isophya modesta, Poecilimon intermedius, Stenobothrus lineatus), and inhabitants of eutrophic swamps (Conocephalus dorsalis, Stethophyma grossum). Differences in the distribution of two species of cockroaches of the genus Ectobius, two species of grasshoppers of the tribe Chrysochraontini, and three species of bush-crickets (Platycleidini) are described.

Insecta Orthoptera: a bibliometric review of papers from the Scopus database published in English for the period of 1986-2021

Today, climate change, an increase in anthropogenic factors, and changes in the natural environment have an adverse effect on insect diversity due to the changing climes around the world. There has been an increase in the number of pests of agricultural crops over the past few years because of the expansion of the cultivated areas in arid regions, including the number of insects of the Order Orthoptera. The formation of fauna in different regions of the globe needs to be identified in order to improve the methods of combating them, and therefore, it is necessary to identify their formation. A great deal of research on the class of insects has been conducted over the last 35 years, and most of those articles are published in English. However, the research work on Insecta: Orthoptera was carried out in different topics and ways during those 35 years. The scope of this article is to cover all articles that have been published about orthoptera between 1986 and 2021 in the Scopus database. Various categories were analyzed in order to determine the quality of this research, including the year of research, who was responsible for the research, and which of the major research institutes did the research. In the light of the analysis, it is possible to have a certain understanding of the current research problems that are being experienced in this area as a result of the analysis.

Occurrence of the greenhouse camel cricket Tachycines asynamorus Adelung, 1902 (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae) in Poland

The greenhouse camel cricket Tachycines asynamorus is an insect of the order Orthoptera, native to Eastern Asia. It was introduced to Europe and North America at the end of the 19th century, probably along with exotic plants imported to botanical gardens, orangeries, and horticultural farms. In the climatic conditions of Central and Northern Europe this insect is exclusively synanthropic, occurring mainly in greenhouses, hothouses, and other permanently heated rooms with high humidity. In Poland, the species has been reported in 24 sites since the beginning of the 20th century. No specific information confirming its occurrence in the country after 1984 has been found in the literature. The search for the greenhouse camel cricket conducted by the authors, along with responses to surveys sent out to scientific institutions and naturalists requesting reports of sightings of the species, enabled us to establish that in 1991– 2022 T. asynamorus occurred in Poland at 12 sites, mostly in greenhouses in botanical gardens and in aquaria and terraria buildings in zoological gardens. The presence of the species was confirmed at only one site known from the literature.

Abundance and composition of arthropods in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum) ecosystem

A short investigation was devised by Department of Agricultural Entomology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore in 2022 to document the arthropod composition in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) ecosystem. Arthropod fauna was collected from sugarcane ecosystem in farmers’ field at Puthur of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu at weekly intervals. Totally, 2,310 individuals of the subclass Pterygota were collected and among them most of specimens belonged to Exopterygota. The exopterygota (1,029) were represented by 5 orders, viz. Hemiptera, Odonata, Orthoptera, Isoptera and Dermaptera. Majority of the individuals belonged to the family Aphididae (330) under the order Hemiptera. Under order Orthoptera, Gryllidae (46) was the dominant family closely followed by Acrididae (45). Among these, the dominant species was Gryllus spp. The order Odonata was represented by a single family Libellulidae (38) and the species was identified as Orthetrum sabina Drury, 1773. Under Endopterygota, 4 orders were identified and among these, Hymenoptera was the most common order with 740 numbers, followed by Diptera (237), Coleoptera (215) and Lepidoptera (89). Under the order Coleoptera, 3 families were recorded, with most of them falling under the family Coccinellidae (172) followed by Cicindelidae. Hymenopteran order comprised majorly of ants, belonging to the family Formicidae, of which 3 species were identified. Lepidoptera consisted of single species Ariadne merione Cramer, 1779 belonging to family Nymphalidae. Majority of Arachinda was represented by order Araneae. Under the order Araneae most of them pertained to families Araneidae, Lycosidae and Thomisidae. Neoscona sp., Hippasa sp., Pardosa sp. and Pardosa birmania Simon were found to be common in sugarcane ecosystem.