Comparative Study on Grasshopper Diversity and Desert Locust in Wet and Dry Soil Areas of Kuchlak (Quetta District) of Balochistan
Research Article
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31580/pjmls.v8i1.3225Keywords:
Catastrophic, Devastation, Kuchlak, Locust, RichestAbstract
Populations of grasshoppers and desert locusts can rapidly expand to catastrophic levels, causing significant devastation in a short period. A study was conducted from July 2021 to June 2022 to assess the diversity of grasshoppers and desert locusts in wet and dry soil areas of Kuchlak, Quetta District in Balochistan. A total of 250 specimens were collected in this study. Fourteen species belonging to the order Orthoptera, distributed across two families (Pyrgomorphidae and Acrididae) and twelve genera, were observed; n=155 specimens were found in wet areas while n=95 were found in dry soil areas. Captured grasshopper species includes (Chrotogonus trachypterus, Sphingonotus rubsences rubsences, Poekilocerus pictus, Aiolopus thalassinus, Chrotogonus armatus, Heteracris littoralis, Anacridium aegyptium, Acrida cinerea, Pyrgomorpha conica, Aiolopus thalassinus tamulus, Diabolocatantops innotabilis, Acrotylus patruelis, Oxya hyla and desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria). In the present research, the Acrididae appeared as the richest family. The findings suggest that wet and dry soil areas support grasshopper and desert locust diversity.
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