Ruspolia Nitidula Research Articles

Nutritional and health benefits of Cameroonian grasshopper ( Ruspolia nitidula) meal: effects on libido, sleep, hair growth and hunger in rats

Nutritional and health benefits of Cameroonian grasshopper ( <i>Ruspolia nitidula</i>) meal: effects on libido, sleep, hair growth and hunger in rats

Effect of dramatic alteration of landscape structure on the Orthoptera assemblages of Transcarpathian lowland meadows (West Ukraine)

Traditional and extensively used agricultural lands maintain and protect high levels of biological diversity. This diversity is in decline due to land use intensification and abandonment. Natural and semi-natural grasslands of the Carpathian lowlands have become endangered over the 19th century. However, some remains of former wetlands have survived land use change in the Bereg Region (North-eastern Hungary and Eastern Ukraine). We surveyed Orthopterans as sensitive indicators of habitat structure and microclimate in grasslands. We identified three different Orthoptera assemblages and their character species. Although rare and especially valuable species were not found in the studied sites, the species rich remains of wetlands still protected relics of former wildlife of wetlands. Understanding the quantitative character of the assemblages, ratios of life forms and particularly co-occurrences of their character species (Chorthippus dorsatus, Leptophyes albovittata, Tettigonia viridissima and Ruspolia nitidula) and use of Grasshopper Conservation Indexes (GCI) can help to identify remaining good quality patches with highest conservation value and monitoring.Implications for insect conservationThe focused management of these habitats with reconsideration of the traditional water management can be effective practice for wetland management and Orthoptera conservation.

Estimation of the Recent Expansion Rate of Ruspolia nitidula (Orthoptera) on a Regional and Landscape Scale

Simple SummaryRecent changes in insect distribution are consistent with the effects of climate and habitat change. The bushcricket Ruspolia nitidula has expanded in Western and Central Europe in recent decades. In the Czech Republic, R. nitidula was recorded in 2006 after ca. 50 years of absence. Using available occurrence data from professionals and citizens we estimated the R. nitidula expansion rate from 2006 to 2020 in the Czech Republic. For comparison, we monitored in detail expansion at the areal margin in the Odra River basin from 2016 to 2020. To estimate the expansion rates, we used three different methods of spatial analysis, including least-cost path analysis with habitat suitability. The estimated maximum expansion rate ranged from 13.8 to 16.2 km/year based on occurrence data at the country level and from 11.1 to 11.7 km/year based on the monitoring in the Odra River basin.Recent changes in insect distribution are consistent with the expected interacting effects of climate and habitat change. The orthopteran Ruspolia nitidula has expanded its area of distribution in Western and Central Europe in recent decades. Because males emit a sound that is easily detected at a distance of up to 40 m, it is possible to detect spreading individuals and to therefore document routes and rates of spread. Using occurrence data at the landscape scale and three methods, including least-cost path analysis with habitat suitability, we estimated the R. nitidula expansion rate from 2006 to 2020 in the Czech Republic; this involved estimating distances between two origin occurrences in 2006 and two occurrences on the area margin in 2020. For comparison, we directly monitored expansion based on detection of singing males at the regional scale at the areal margin in the Odra River basin (2016–2020). The estimated maximum expansion rate ranged from 13.8 to 16.2 km/year based on occurrence data at the landscape scale and from 11.1 to 11.7 km/year based on the monitoring of males in the Odra River basin. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the direct monitoring of individual spreading males to detect changes in the distribution of an orthopteran.

Annotated checklist of Orthoptera of the Maltese Islands.

The representation in the Maltese Islands of the Order Orthoptera, including the Tettigonioidea, Grylloidea, Gryllotalpoidea, Tetrigoidea, Pyrgomorphoidea and Acridoidea, is reviewed for the first time in almost fifty years. A total of fifty-five species are treated, of which forty-six are accepted and nine are rejected on the basis of re-evaluated taxonomic evidence, including the re-examination of actual specimens from historical collections, and consideration of species' distribution. Two species, namely, Platycleis sabulosaAzam, 1901 and Oecanthus dulcisonans Gorochov, 1993, are reported for the first time from the Maltese Islands. Of the confirmed taxa, the occurrence of three species, Oedipoda caerulescens caerulescens (Linnaeus, 1767), Sphingonotus obscuratus lameerei Finot, 1902, and Sphingonotus savignyi savignyi Saussure, 1884, is considered accidental and another species, Schistocerca gregaria gregaria (Forskål, 1775), is known for its dependence on episodes of passage from the African mainland, while the status of another four taxa remains unclear. Extirpation of some of the rare and localised species, such as Conocephalus conocephalus (Linnaeus, 1767), Ruspolia nitidula (Scopoli, 1786), Brachytrupes megacephalus (Lefebvre, 1827), and Heteracris adspersa (Redtenbacher, 1889), is not excluded unless appropriate conservation measures are introduced and implemented.

A Comprehensive Key for Identification of the “Swarming Conehead” Ruspolia Differens Serville, 1838 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae) Occurring in the Afro - Tropical Region

This work reviewed t h e behavioural, morphological and molecular characteristics of the lo n g - h o rned g r a ss h opp e r R u s po l i a d i f f e r e n s S e r v i l le or “ s en en e ” i n S wa h i li name ( O r t h op t e ra T e t t i g o n ii da e ), as apparent in literature. On that basis, the work has generated a comprehensive key for identification of this species. As widely known, this insect native to Afro - tropical region where it is widely edible and it ha s a characteristic s w a rm i n g behaviour that strikingly occurs during rainy season. Also, it has c o l ou r polymorphism with a total of six key sympatric colour forms, sex d i m o r p hi sm with m al e s possessing longer antennae and a u n i q u e pair o f active tongue - like m e t a t h o r a c i c f l a p s whereas the females have a corresponding pair of vestigial metathoracic nodules. Furthermore, t he species has a pair of distinct subequal black markings on the mid and hind tibia near the knee joint and a white inter - ocular oval mark that appears like a s imple eye. Its sister species which is Ruspolia nitidula S c o p o l i as verified by molecular phylogenetics i s e xc l u s i v e l y s ol i t a r y , mostly g r e en i sh an d P a l ea rc t i c r an g i n g i n A s i a , E u r op e a n d N o r t h e r n A f r i c a. Since swarming behaviour is a foremost diagnostic feature differentiating R. differens from other coneheads, it is worthwhile to demarcate the species with a common name “Swarming Conehead” adding to the existed names.

Nutritional Characteristics of Selected Insects in Uganda for Use as Alternative Protein Sources in Food and Feed.

Insects are potential ingredients for animal feed and human food. Their suitability may be influenced by species and nutritional value. This study was aimed at determining the nutritional profile of four insects: Dipterans; black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens Linnaeus) family stratiomyidae and blue calliphora flies (Calliphora vomitoria Linnaeus) family Calliphoridae; and orthopterans; crickets (Acheta domesticus Linnaeus) family Gryllidae and grasshoppers (Ruspolia nitidula Linnaeus) family Tettigoniidae to establish their potential as alternative protein sources for animals (fish and poultry) and humans. Gross energy, crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, carbohydrates, and total ash were in the ranges of 2028.11–2551.61 kJ/100 g, 44.31–64.90, 0.61–46.29, 5.075–16.61, 3.43–12.27, and 3.23–8.74 g/100 g, respectively. Hermetia illucens had the highest energy and ash content; C. vomitoria were highest in protein and fiber content, R. nitidula were highest in fat, whereas A. domesticus had the highest carbohydrate content. All insects had essential amino acids required for poultry, fish, and human nutrition. The arginine to lysine ratios of H. illucens, C. vomitoria, A. domesticus, and R. nitidula were 1.45, 1.06, 1.06, and 1.45, respectively. The fatty acids comprised of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and saturated fatty acids (SFAs). Palmitic acid (23.6–38.8 g/100 g of total fat) was the most abundant SFA, exception R. nitidula with 14 g/100 g stearic acid. Linoleic acid (190–1,723 mg/100 g) and linolenic acid (650–1,903 mg/100 g) were the most abundant PUFAs. Only C. vomitoria had docosahexaenoic acid. The study indicates that the insects studied are rich in crude protein and other nutrients and can potentially be used for human and animal (fish and poultry) feeding.

Inorganic pollutants in edible grasshoppers (Ruspolia nitidula) of Uganda and their major public health implications.

Inorganic contamination of food products is associated with adverse health effects, however, information on grasshoppers in Africa is sparse. The objective of the study was to determine antioxidant, heavy metal and food safety status of edible grasshoppers of Uganda. A cross-sectional study was conducted in central and southwestern Uganda, in which a questionnaire was administered to grasshopper harvesters. Grasshopper samples were collected from each harvesting point and analyzed in the laboratory for antioxidant and heavy metal content i.e. Lead (Pb), Chromium (Cr), Zinc (Zn) and Cadmium (Cd) using atomic absorbance spectrometric (AAS) method on the heads and abdomen of the insects. Major antioxidants were Catalase > Glutathione > Glutathione peroxidase. In addition concentrations of heavy metals were in the order of Pb > Cr > Zn > Cd in the heads and abdomens of the grasshoppers. Pb concentrations were found to be higher in the heads than the abdomens and the carcinogenic potential of the grasshoppers was over 10 times over the recommended levels. Grasshoppers were found not to be safe especially in children due to their small body weight in comparison to adults. Pb poisoning in the Ugandan children would be propagated through contaminated grasshoppers.

The Orthoptera fauna of the Stelvio National Park

Within the Project “Animal Biodiversity Monitoring in the Alpine Environment” the Orthoptera fauna has been studied in a three-year period (2013-2015). The first check-list of the protected area, with ecological and biogeographical notes, is presented. We found 40 species (16 Ensifera, 24 Caelifera), corresponding to 11% of the Italian Orthoptera fauna. A geographic differentiation in species distribution among the three areas (Alto Adige - BZ, Trentino - TN and Lombardy - BS and SO) has been detected. The genus Barbitistes is represented by B. serricauda in Alto Adige and B. alpinus in Trentino and Lombardy. Kisella irena is restricted to Peio and Rabbi Valleys only, in connection with this species distribution in Trentino. Within the Park, Euthystira brachyptera is distributed only in Lombardy, despite its habitat is apparently extensively available also in Trentino and Alto Adige. We found Omocestus haemorrhoidalis and Chorthippus vagans only in Val Venosta (BZ). Only two species, previously reported for the study area, has not been detected during our surveys: Celes variabilis and Ruspolia nitidula. The first site of presence of Tettigonia caudata, rare in Italy, within the Park boundaries has been discovered near Martello (BZ). Two endangered taxa of high conservation value, Epacromius tergestinus ponticus and Crysochraon dispar, reported in the last Century just outside the Park boundaries, are probably extinct today due to habitat loss.

Effect of processing, packaging and storage-temperature based hurdles on the shelf stability of sautéed ready-to-eat Ruspolia nitidula

Ruspolia nitidula (an edible grasshopper) is a seasonal delicacy in Uganda and its neighbouring countries, with a postharvest shelf stability of 1-2 days. Our previous processing research increased the shelf stability of ready-to-eat R. nitidula to 12 weeks at ambient temperature. However, there is need to double the shelf-life to cover the 20-24 weeks between swarming seasons and, increase the efficiency and cost effectiveness of the processing and packaging techniques developed. This research investigated the effectiveness of 9 preservation hurdles on the microbial (total plate count), sensorial (overall acceptability) and chemical (acid value, peroxide value and thio-barbituric acid value) stability of ready-to-eat R. nitidula. Chilled storage and ambient temperature storage of the vacuum packed product increased the shelf stability of R. nitidula from 12 to 22 weeks. After 22 weeks of storage, the products had an overall acceptability of 6-7 on a 9-point hedonic scale, a total plate count of &lt;4 log cfu/g, an acid value of approximately &lt;1 mg KOH/g, a peroxide value of &lt;21.50 meq O2/kg and a thio-barbituric value of &lt;0.079. Either chilled storage or vacuum packaging are suitable means of preserving dried ready-to-eat edible grass hoppers and can be used depending on availability. Further research into increasing the shelf stability of R. nitidula at room temperature will be very beneficial to its commercialisation.

Nutritional composition, quality, and shelf stability of processed Ruspolia nitidula (edible grasshoppers).

The nutritional and commercial potential of the edible grasshopper (Ruspolia nitidula, nsenene in Luganda), a delicacy in Uganda and many East African tribes, is limited by a short shelf life and unverified nutritional value. This research established that R. nitidula is nutritious with 36–40% protein, 41–43% fat, 2.5–3.2% carbohydrate, 2.6–3.9% ash, 11.0–14.5% dietary fiber, and 900–2300 μg/100 g total carotenoids on a dry matter basis. Sautéing was the most preferred processing method resulting in grasshoppers with a notably better aroma and flavor. After 12 weeks of storage at room temperature, processed and vacuum packed, ready‐to‐eat grasshoppers maintained their edible quality with an acid value of 3.2 mg KOH/g, a total plate count of log 1.8 cfu/g, and an overall acceptability of 6.7–7.2 on a 9‐point hedonic scale. Further research is required for extending the shelf stability beyond 12 weeks and characterizing the profile of major nutrients.

Large-scale semi-automated acoustic monitoring allows to detect temporal decline of bush-crickets

Monitoring biodiversity over large spatial and temporal scales is crucial to assess the impact of global changes and environmental mitigation measures. However, large-scale monitoring of invertebrates remains poorly developed despite the importance of these organisms in ecosystem functioning. The development of new recording techniques and new methods of automatic species recognition based on sound detection and easily applicable within a citizen-science framework, offers interesting possibilities. However, the value of such protocols has not been tested for the study of temporal trends on a large spatial scale.We used an acoustic region-wide citizen-monitoring program of Orthoptera, conducted along roads, to assess the relevance of automatic species recognition methods to detect temporal trends while taking into account spatial and seasonal patterns of two Orthoptera species activity (Tettigonia viridissima Linnaeus, 1758, and Ruspolia nitidula Scopoli, 1786) at a large scale. Additionally, we tested the effect of climate and land-use variables on spatio-temporal abundance patterns using generalized linear mixed models. We found negative temporal trends for the two species across the survey period (2006–2012). The spatial variations were largely explained by the geoclimatic conditions and, to a lesser extent, by land use (negative effects of urbanization). The temporal variations were highly correlated to the climatic conditions of the year, and of the previous year (nonlinear effect of temperature, precipitation).To our knowledge, this paper describes the first successful attempt to calculate large-scale temporal trends of insect populations on the basis of an automatic identification process of acoustic data. We argue that acoustic monitoring along roads, coupled with the automatic recognition of species sounds, offers several advantages for assessing Orthoptera biodiversity response to global changes and environmental measures.

Annotated checklist of the grasshoppers and crickets (Orthoptera) of the Czech Republic.

A checklist is presented of the Orthoptera of the Czech Republic. Based on the critical revision of published data and previous lists of species, which often contained only general or questionable data and which often inaccurately cited each other, we found 96 species of Orthoptera belonging to the fauna of the Czech Republic. We emphasize those changes that are based on comparison with previous checklists. We provide information on missing, unclear, and extinct species and on newly detected species, and we confirm the status of species that have been missing for a long time (Leptophyes boscii, Polysarcus denticauda, Ruspolia nitidula, Eumodicogryllus bordigalensis, Tetrix bolivari, Mecostethus parapleurus). We also note those species for which only several individuals have been detected (Pteronemobius heydenii) or those survived only at a single locality (Platycleis montana, Aiolopus thalassinus, Dociostaurus brevicollis, Omocestus petraeus) or at two localities (Poecilimon intermedius, Platycleis veyseli, Pseudopodisma nagyi). Phaneroptera nana is recorded as new for Bohemia.

Commercialization of &lt;i&gt;Ruspolia nitidula&lt;/i&gt; (nsenene grasshoppers) in Central Uganda

Trade in Ruspolia nitidula commonly known as grasshopper and locally known, as Nsenene is becoming a valuable source of income for many poor people in central Uganda, which although modest in terms of monetary value, could nonetheless form a significant proportion of their annual income. Though eaten by a large proportion of the population in the central Uganda, there is much less documented information on its commercialization and income potential. A study was, therefore, conducted to document consumers' perceptions about eating these R. nitidula; marketing chain, market locations, and the people trading in R. nitidula; the average price, income generated and the challenges and opportunities for marketing it in central Uganda. Two divisions (Central and Kawempe) of Kampala City and one sub-county (Nyendo-Ssenyange) of Masaka district with high concentration of R. nitidula business were surveyed. Seventy R. nitidula traders and 70 consumers were interviewed. Data were edited, coded, entered and analyzed using Statistical Packake for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results show that R. nitidula is a delicacy and cultural food eaten by the majority of the people in central Uganda. The average retail price per kilogram of R. nitidula was Uganda shillings 5,000 (&#8776; US $2.80), which compares favourably with that of goat meat, which retails at approximately Uganda shillings 4,000 (&#8776; US $2.13) per kilogram in Kampala districts. The trade was dominated by men and characterized by wholesalers who buy R. nitidula from collectors and sell to retailers. The average price per kilogram of R. nitidula increases from collectors to wholesale traders and to retailers. Collectors charged the lowest price although their profit margins remained the highest. Several barriers, such as high market dues, hamper the trade in R. nitidula. There is a need to streamline the trade in R. nitidula so as to protect traders from high taxation by the market administrators. The possibility of adding value to the R. nitidula should be investigated because it is mainly being sold in fresh form and yet it has a short shelf life. Keywords: Marketing, Trade, Ruspolia nitidula, Uganda. AJFAND Vol. 8 (3) 2008: pp. 319-332

Behavioral and Biochemical Adaptations of Generalist and Specialist Herbivorous Insects Feeding on &lt;I&gt;Hypericum perforatum&lt;/I&gt; (Guttiferae)

Abstract The behavior and biochemical adaptations of 3 generalist insect species (Tettigonia viridissima L., Ruspolia nitidula Scopoli, and Conocephalus discolor Thunberg) and 3 specialists (Galeruca tanaceti L., Chrysolina geminata Payrtull, and Cloantha perspicillaris Boisduval) to the hypericin-containing leaves of Hypericum perforatum were investigated in southwestern France. The generalists preferentially fed on the part of the leaf lacking the phototoxic, hypericin-laden dark glands. The specialists showed no discriminatory feeding pattern but exhibited a negative phototaxis that is presumed to be an efficient strategy to circumvent the light-induced toxicity of hypericin. The constitutive and hypericin-inducible activities of glutathione reductase and glutathione S-transferase, 2 antioxidant enzymes which are considered to be biochemical adaptations used by phytophagous insects to attenuate the oxidative stress caused by photosensitization, were determined in the fatbody and midgut of T. viridissim...

Responses of collicular neurons to acoustic motion in the horseshoe batRhinolophus rouxi

fragments on a 2.5% agarose gel. The two primers used were C2-J-3400 (COII-specific) and TK-N-3785 (tRNAZY~-specific); for primer details see [14]. 1 Drosophila melanogaster (Diptera: Drosophilidae), 2 Grylloblatta rothi (Grylloblattoidea: Grylloblattidae), 3 Ruspolia nitidula (Orthoptera, Ensifera: Tettigonioidea), 4 Cyphoderis monstrosus (Orthoptera, Ensifera: Haglidae), 5 Locusta migratoria (Orthoptera, Caelifera: Acrididae), 60edipoda coerulescens (Orthoptera, Caelifera: Acrididae), 7 Prosphena scudderi (Orthoptera, Caelifera: Pyromorphidae) es that the rearrangement has occurred within Orthoptera, unquestionably a monophyletic group with respect to the other taxa in our sample. These two sets of observations indicate that the KD~DK rearrangement has occurred at least twice during insect evolution; once in the lineage leading to Hymenoptera, and once in the lineage leading to the orthopteran suborder Caelifera. However, the overall divergence of the Apis genome, including the apparently high number of tRNA rearrangements (11 with respect to Drosophila), indicates that the observed gene orders are probably the result of quite separate rearrangement events in the different lineages. Therefore, the observations support a previous study of mtDNA gene order evolution which stressed the importance of considering rearrangements of groups of tRNA genes rather than of individual genes [13]. This has important consequences for any future studies of insect evolution using tRNA gene orders and is, to our knowledge, the first reported case of an apparently homoplastic mtDNA gene rearrangement in metazoans. The result emphasizes the need to sample both a representative number of insects, and a large enough sample of tRNA genes in order to make a correct interpretation of the data. Received March 1 and May 8, 1995