Field diet of the grasshopper Abracris dilecta Walker (Orthoptera, Acrididae)

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Abracris dilecla Walker, 1870 (Olthoptera, Acrididae, Ommatolampinae) ate leafs of at least 14 plant species, in the families Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvales (Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae Dr Malvaceae), Poaceae, Fabaceae, Verbenaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Rubiaceae and Melastomataceae. Elephal1tapus lI1011is H.B.K. (Asteraceae) and Hyptis suaveolens Poit. (Lamiaceae) comprised 50% ofthe diet. The diet breadth of A. dilecta was compared to that of other II grasshopper species ofthe same sub-family, with rarefaction curves. The number of plant species eaten by A. dilecla was greater than that 01' nine olheI' grasshopper species of the same sub-family (Rhachicreagra spp.) but was lower then two others (Microptylopteryx hebardi Rehn, 1905 and Rhachicreagra astytophallus Jago & Rowell, 1981). This results are discussed in view ofthe broad geographical range and possession ofdeveloped wings by A. dilecta, which contrasts with mos! Ommatolampinae grasshoppers.

Gafanhotos (Orthoptera, Acridoidea) em áreas de cerrados e lavouras na Chapada dos Parecis, Estado de Mato Grosso, Brasil

“…De acordo com Roberts & Carbonell (1981), esta espécie está associada a habitats arbustivos compatíveis com os ambientes de cerrado e em regiões de vegetação mais alta como as matas secas (Amédégnato & Descamps 1980). Esta seletividade de habitat indica que esta espécie teria pouca capacidade de adaptação nas áreas agricultáveis, no entanto Sperber (1996) relacionou 14 espécies de plantas que são consumidas por A. dilecta a qual tem características biológicas de espécie generalista. Dentre estas se destacam algumas das famílias Leguminosae, Gramineae e Malvaceae que, por englobarem as principais espécies vegetais agrícolas cultivadas em Mato Grosso, tais como soja, arroz, milho e algodão podem ser fontes de recursos para que a espécie A. dilecta -assim como previsto para as Amblytropidia e já ocorre com B. punctulatus e O. punctata -com a possibilidade de se expandir pelas áreas agrícolas como uma resposta à ação antrópica.…”

Host Plants of the Grasshopper Cornops aquaticum (Bruner) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the Wetland of Poconé, MT, Brazil

“…Although partially conflicting results have been found in the literature for daily variation on secondary compounds in plants, there is a general agreement that the concentration of these compounds changes along the year or along growth season (Swain 1963). Sperber (1991), studying temporal variation on the diet of the grasshopper Abracris dilecta (Walker), found no significant changes in the number of plants consumed between rainy and dry seasons. In Pantanal, however, the environmental modifications imposed by climatic changes and mainly by the hydrological cycle, determine the alterations in the quality of the aquatic macrophytes (Da Silva et al 1994), which are probably perceived by C. aquaticum when probing the leaves surface.…”

Chromosome mapping in Abracris flavolineata (De Geer, 1773) (Orthoptera) from the Iguaçu National Park – Foz do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil

“…Among its subfamilies, Ommatolampidinae comprises 9 tribes and over 50 genera, with geographical distribution in North, Central and South America (Amédégnato 1974, Carbonell 1977). This subfamily is associated with secondary growth of vegetation in dry forest areas (Amédégnato and Decamps 1980, Rowell 1987), or even in clearings within Tropical rainforests (Braker 1991, Sperber 1996). The genus Abracris Walker, 1870 belongs to this subfamily and is distributed in the Neotropical region, from Mexico to Argentina (Roberts and Carbonell 1981).…”