Bioecological Observations on a Pigmy Locust, <i>Potua Sabulosa</i> Hancock (Tetrigidae: Orthoptera)

Paranjape, S. Y.; Bhalerao, A. M.

doi:10.1155/1985/30570

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

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“…We omitted members of the Tetrigidae family, since these species are principally feeding on algae, lichens, mosses and detritus (e.g. Paranjape & Bhalerao ; Kuřavová & Kočárek ). We assumed that the measure of global grasshopper abundance is correlated with overall herbivore pressure on the plant community at each site.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community‐level plant palatability increases with elevation as insect herbivore abundance declines

et al. 2016

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Summary1. Plants protect themselves against herbivore attacks through a myriad of physical structures and toxic secondary metabolites. Together with abiotic factors, herbivores are expected to modulate plant defence strategies within plant assemblages. Because the abundance of insect herbivore decreases in colder environments, the palatability of plants in communities at higher elevation should shift in response to both abiotic and biotic factors. 2. We inventoried grasshopper communities to document changes in herbivore abundance along elevation gradients and quantified associated shifts in plant palatability. We measured plant palatability by measuring the growth of Spodoptera littoralis generalist caterpillars fed with the leaves of 172 plant species. We related plant palatability to leaf traits and elevation at the species and community levels. 3. In congruence with the decrease in grasshopper abundance with elevation, we found that the mean palatability level of plant communities increases with elevation. In addition, plant palatability was negatively associated with the community-weighted mean of leaf dry matter content. At the species level, plants with high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio were less palatable, while we found no effect of species mean elevation on plant palatability. 4. Synthesis. Our results suggest that plant communities at higher elevation are composed of species that are generally more palatable for insect herbivores. Shift in plant palatability with elevation may thus be the outcome of a relaxation of the in situ herbivore pressure and changes in abiotic conditions.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community‐level plant palatability increases with elevation as insect herbivore abundance declines

et al. 2016

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“…This suggests that tetrigids, which over-winter as adults (Borror et al 1989), move to upland habitats to avoid winter floods. In these habitats they may feed on terrestrial detritus, mosses, fungi and lichen (Paranjape and Bhalerao 1985;Bhalerao and Paranjape 1986). The cobble bars become exposed in April and May as the water level drops.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

A basal aquatic-terrestrial trophic link in rivers: algal subsidies via shore-dwelling grasshoppers

et al. 2002

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Rivers provide important resources for riparian consumers, especially in arid or seasonally arid biomes. Pygmy grasshoppers (Paratettix aztecus and P. mexicanus; Tetrigidae) graze river algae stranded along shorelines of the South Fork Eel River in northern California (39°44'N, 123°39'W) as the river recedes during the summer drought. Densities of tetrigids during the mid to late summer were highest (1 individual/m in July) within 1 m of the river margin, and declined to near zero at 4 m from the margin, especially during peak temperatures in the afternoon. These observations suggested that the distribution of tetrigids was determined by the availability of algae, water, or both. We manipulated the presence/absence of water and beached algae (Cladophora glomerata) in a 2×2 factorial design. All treatments were positioned 2 m upslope from the river's edge (about 30 cm above the water table), where the cobble bar was naturally dry and devoid of algae and densities of tetrigids were lower than at the river margin (0.4 individuals/m in July). Tetrigids responded only to the wet Cladophora treatment, which had 30× higher densities than other treatments. Stable isotopic signatures (δC) of tetrigids (-19.7‰) collected from the same cobble bars were more similar to those of epilithic algae (-20.4‰) than terrestrial plants (-28.2‰), and higher than those of acridid grasshoppers (-27.9‰) from the same habitats. Mixing models suggest that 88-100% of the C in tetrigid grasshoppers at our study site is derived from riverine algae. A preliminary analysis suggests that tetrigids ingested sufficient quantities of algae to easily meet their energetic demands during the summer. This study supports the idea that algae, produced in stream systems, can determine the distribution and relative abundance of a common terrestrial scavenger and provide an additional pathway for energy exchange between rivers and riparian food webs.

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“…Groundhoppers (Tetrigidae) are considered to be specialized for feeding on lower plants and detritus (Paranjape & Bhalerao ). The first publications concerning the diet composition of groundhoppers were those by Verdcourt () and Forman (), who analyzed the feces of Tetrix spp.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seasonal variation in the diet of Tetrix tenuicornis (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)

Kuřavová

Kočárek

2015

Entomological Science

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Many animals change their diet during the season according to food availability. The current field study determined whether the groundhopper Tetrix tenuicornis (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae), which specializes on moss and detritus, changes its diet during the season under conditions in which food components are constantly available. Dietary differences of T. tenuicornis were studied through the season, from May to October, by alimentary tract analyses. Detritus and moss (phylloids) dominated the alimentary tract contents, and other components were found in only minor amounts. The diversity of moss species in the alimentary tract varied during the season, and more moss species were consumed in spring and summer than in autumn. Diet was affected by developmental stage, sex (females consumed more food than males), population and abiotic factors. The rate at which detritus was consumed was significantly affected by the ambient temperature but the rate at which moss was consumed was mainly affected by relative humidity. Later instars consumed greater amounts of detritus than younger instars, and this difference corresponded to body size.

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Bioecological Observations on a Pigmy Locust, Potua Sabulosa Hancock (Tetrigidae: Orthoptera)

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Community‐level plant palatability increases with elevation as insect herbivore abundance declines

Community‐level plant palatability increases with elevation as insect herbivore abundance declines

A basal aquatic-terrestrial trophic link in rivers: algal subsidies via shore-dwelling grasshoppers

Seasonal variation in the diet of Tetrix tenuicornis (Orthoptera: Tetrigidae)

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