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The aim of this work was to evaluate the ash toxicity from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex on the survival of two Orthopteran species: the grasshoper Dichroplus vittigerum and the green locust Brugilis sp. Two grain size were used to evaluate the effect of volcanic eruption on these insects. Chemical analyses from this eruption proved that the ashes were very abrasive and predominantly composed of silica shards (SiO 2 ) and aluminia (Al 2 O 3 ), two substances with insecticidal properties. In northern Patagonia, both orthopteran species are polyphagous chewers on grasses and dicots. The laboratory data showed that sustained exposure to volcanic ash induced mortality in adult grasshoppers. Survival of D. vittigerum significantly decreased once exposed to the two ash granulometries. In turn, Brugilis sp. survival was significantly reduced when exposed to fine grain ashes. These results suggest that the onset of the volcanic eruption with the consequent suspension of the pyroclastic material in the air might negatively impacted these orthopteran due to the mortality of adults. The ash from the Puyehue-Cordón Caulle volcanic complex could be compared to the application of non-persistent and broad spectrum insecticide, causing a temporary reduction in orthopteran populations.
Inert dusts are an early form of insecticide which is still in use. One of the most common inert dusts is volcanic ash. In order to study the reaction of rangeland grasshoppers, Dichroplus vittigerum (Acrididae) and a katydid, Burgilis mendosensis (Phaneropteridae), to the presence of volcanic ash in their food sources and how this reaction changed as a function of time, we conducted paired preference tests between clean leaves of their preferred host plant and leaves exposed to volcanic ash of different grain size. The behavioral response was measured as the rating on the Thurstonian preference scale of leaves with ash in relation to clean leaves. The results showed that the avoidance of volcanic ash increased as a function of time in both species. Both species studied are occasionally exposed to volcanic activity, and come from an area in which a volcanic eruption had recently occurred. As their populations did not decrease after the ash fall, we propose that some behavioral responses such as avoidance of places with ash, works as tolerance mechanism to inert dusts exposure.
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