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From ancient times to the present, infestations of the Central American locust (CAL) [Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons (Walker, 1870)] have occurred periodically and with varying intensities in the Yucatan Peninsula (YP), Mexico. Despite efforts to survey the recession zone, an upsurge is still difficult to predict and prevent, and high economic costs are incurred in controlling this pest. For this study, two models were developed to determine the probability of an upsurge in the YP. The first was the Markov chain (MC) with transition probability matrix, which estimates probability by determining the proportion of times that the system moved from one state to another (n2) over 71, 33, and 24 years in Yucatan, Campeche, and the Quintana Roo States, respectively, divided into different periods; a correlation of the matrix and probability (n2) of the next period was performed to evaluate the accuracy of the estimation. The other method is the classic probabilistic (CP) model, which uses the number of times the upsurge could happen and the number of possible events. In the MC model, great variation was found in CAL upsurge probabilities between periods, with a similar number of upsurges from the past to the present but with varying intensity. In recent years, the treated area with insecticides has been less than that of the past. The CP model revealed that the locust population reached its maximum peak every four years, with the migration of swarms to neighboring states at the end/start of the year. Validation of the MC and CP models was performed considering information on areas treated in 2019 and 2020, and good accuracy was obtained. Both models provide information on the probability of an upsurge in the YP. This information can be incorporated into economic models to improve management decisions, such as when to announce early warnings, and to implement preventive control strategies.

Abstract The genus Tropidopola (Insecta, Orthoptera) is recorded in Georgia for the first time. Detailed information on the barcode of the species, pictures of the live and preserved specimen, collecting information, and remarks on the ecology of T. turanica Uvarov, 1926, are given.

The male holotype of Acrida bara Steinmann, 1963 from the Budapest collection (HNHM) was studied and found to be identical to Acrida sulphuripennis (Gerstaecker, 1869). Consequently, Acrida bara syn. nov. is synonymized with A. sulphuripennis.

Melanoplus discolor and Melanoplus kendalli were previously placed in the texanus species group. Here seven new species are described from central Texas and the combined nine species placed into the discolor group based on emergence time and shape of the male terminalia and genital structures. Six of these new species are from the Edwards Plateau, a known area of high endemism. Species of the discolor group are inhabitants of shortgrass or mixed-grass prairies, Ashe juniper or oak savannas.

Grasshoppers (Acridoidea, Orthoptera) are the dominant herbivores in grassland ecosystems worldwide. They can increase rangeland productivity by stimulating plant growth and accelerating nutrient cycling. This article presents a comprehensive checklist of grasshoppers in Mongolia. Until then, the available information was very scattered, based on old studies of Mongolian grasshoppers, recorded in a few international catalogues and databases, individual records and research work on agroecosystem communities. However, the available information on the composition of the Orthopteran fauna in Mongolia was sometimes unclear or non-existent and these dubious data were excluded from the present study. In addition, the grasshopper distribution analysis used the standardised personal collection of D. Altanchimeg. We also present a list of grasshoppers, as well as their distribution and abundance, in countries adjacent to Mongolia, such as Russia, China and South Korea. The surveys covered six types of natural zones: high mountain, taiga, forest-steppe, steppe, desert steppe and desert; desert steppe and steppe zones are the most widely distributed. We hope to have contributed significantly to the study of the distribution of grasshopper species in all these natural zones. In this study, a total of three families of Acridoidea belonging to eight subfamilies, 17 tribes, 52 genera and 128 species are reported for the various natural zones. The recorded species belong to eight subfamilies: Gomphocerinae are the most numerous with 56 species recorded, followed by Oedipodinae (51 species), Thrinchinae (nine species), Melanoplinae (six species), Calliptaminae (three species), Dericorythinae, Acridinae, Egnatiinae (one species each).

A new species of Burttia Dirsh, B. caerulea sp. nov., is described from the Nguru Mountains of Tanzania. It is the second species in the genus, both being restricted to Tanzanian localities. Both B. sylvatica, known only from the Uluguru Mountains, and B. caerulea sp. nov. are morphologically very similar in habitus and outer morphology, suggesting a recent speciation.

The biology of Patanga japonica (Bolívar, 1898), including seasonal nymphal growth, host plants, mating, oviposition, hatching, and adult morphology, was studied under outdoor and indoor conditions in central Japan. A field census showed that this grasshopper had a univoltine life cycle and overwintered in the adult stage. Body size was found to increase with a delay in the time of adult emergence in females but not in males, and protandry was observed. The insects were mainly associated with a few plant species. Feeding tests showed that at least one of the 5 test nymphs molted to the second stadium on 37 plant species, and more than 50% did so on 23 plant species. Mating was frequently observed in April and May under outdoor conditions, and the daily maximum number of copulating pairs was positively correlated with air temperature. Copulatory behavior, including stridulation, is described in detail. Oviposition was frequently observed in May and June under outdoor conditions. Larger females produced more eggs per pod, and a negative relationship was observed between egg lengths and the number of eggs per pod, showing a trade-off. On average, female adults had 124 ovarioles. Egg hatching occurred at different times during the daytime, but the eggs from each pod hatched synchronously. Synchronous hatching was also observed in eggs kept in groups of 2, 4, and 10, but hatching occurred earlier in larger group sizes. Eggs achieved synchronous hatching by either delaying or advancing hatching time. Two eggs separated by several millimeters hatched less synchronously than those kept in contact with one another. However, similarly separated eggs restored hatching synchrony when connected by thin wire, suggesting the involvement of vibrational signals in embryo–embryo communication. Morphometric analysis suggested that P. japonica adults change some morphometric ratios in response to crowding. Variation in pronotum shape was not significantly affected by crowding.

In many insect taxa, there is a well‐established trade‐off between flight capability and reproduction. The wing types of Acridoidea exhibit extremely variability from full length to complete loss in many groups, thus, provide a good model for studying the trade‐off between flight and reproduction. In this study, we completed the sampling of 63 Acridoidea species, measured the body length, wing length, body weight, flight muscle weight, testis and ovary weight, and the relative wing length (RWL), relative flight muscle weight (RFW), and gonadosomatic index (GSI) of different species were statistically analyzed. The results showed that there were significant differences in RWL, RFW, and GSI among Acridoidea species with different wing types. RFW of long‐winged species was significantly higher than that of short‐winged and wingless species (p, Flight‐capable individuals (long‐winged) of Acridoidea expend energy developing and maintaining the flight apparatus at the expense of reproduction. Flight‐incapable individuals (short‐winged or wingless) cannot fly, but has a greater reproductive output. The results provide evidence for the trade‐off between flight and reproduction in Acridoidea.

The grasshopper Subfamily Gomphomastacinae (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Eumastacidae) is widely distributed in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Central Asia. This paper describes three new species: Ptygomastax nihilsulcus Ge, sp. nov. Phytomastax pentaspinula Ge, sp. nov. and Pentaspinula unispinula Ge, sp. nov. of the subfamily from the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, along with an updated identification key of species of the related genera. Detail figures of the body and genitalia of the new species are also provided.

Songs and morphology are compared between Chorthippus miramae (Vorontsovsky, 1928) that was previously named as C. porphyropterus and two other closely related species, C. brunneus (Thunberg, 1815) and C. maritimus Mistshenko, 1951. We compare them because the calling song of C. miramae was previously shown to have song elements similar to those of other two species. One morphological character, the length of stridulatory file, appeared to be the best character to distinguish between all three species. For C. maritimus and C. miramae, we present the morphological descriptions since they are absent in the literature. We also establish the synonymy C. maritimus = C. bornhalmi Harz, 1971, syn. n. = C. biguttulus eximius Mistshenko, 1951, syn. n. In the song analysis, we analyse not only the sound but also the leg-movement pattern, which is very helpful to find a homology between various song elements. We show that the calling song of C. miramae usually contains two elements, one element being similar to the C. brunneus calling song, and another – to the C. maritimus calling song. Despite some similarities, the calling song elements in C. miramae have some peculiarities. The courtship song of C. miramae is similar to the C. brunneus song, whereas the rivalry songs of C. miramae comprise both the maritimus-like elements and the unique ones. C. miramae generally demonstrates a richer song repertoire than the other two species.

Gymnoscirtetes is endemic to the southeastern portion of the North American Coastal Plain and previously comprised two species: G. pusillus Scudder, 1897 and G. morsei Hebard, 1918. Here, this genus is revised based on male genital morphology and geographic data, and four new species are described: G. georgiaensis sp. nov., G. pageae sp. nov., G. rex sp. nov., and G. wadeorum sp. nov. Gymnoscirtetes is primarily associated with mesic grasslands such as pitcher plant bogs, flatwoods, and the edges of seasonal ponds, but can be found less commonly in a variety of other grasslands.

Background and aims – The genus Carapichea (Rubiaceae), recently resurrected and separated from Psychotria, currently includes 24 Neotropical species and is morphologically heterogeneous. A revision of the genus in the Guianas is presented here, as part of the authors’ work on the Rubiaceae treatment in the Flora of the Guianas series. Material and methods – This paper is based on a study of herbarium specimens from BBS, BM, BR, BRB, CAY, INPA, K, P, P-JJR, and U; type specimens from other herbaria were consulted online. Some of the species were also studied in the field by the authors. Normal practices of herbarium taxonomy have been applied. Results – Three species previously included in Carapichea (C. altsonii, C. nivea, and C. sandwithiana) show aberrant characters for the genus and are transferred to Notopleura; new combinations are published for the former two (N. altsonii and N. nivea). Eight species of Carapichea, one of them still imperfectly known, are recorded from the Guianas; a ninth species, C. araguariensis, is included in this revision as it is expected to occur in the region. New combinations are published for two species: Carapichea galbaoensis and C. squamelligera, based on Psychotria galbaoensis and P. squamelligera, respectively; the former species was previously included in synonymy of C. guianensis, which is here redefined in a narrower sense. The delimitation of C. ligularis is expanded to include C. pacimonica as a synonym. The first records of C. adinantha in French Guiana – and the Guiana Shield – are documented. The taxonomy of the two remaining species, C. tillettii and C. urniformis, is left unchanged. For every species a complete description is presented, as well as data on distribution, ecology, phenology, local names (when known), and a list of collections studied.

Most grasshopper species have simple and similar life cycles and histories; however, different environmental and ecological factors have different effects on their distribution, sexes, and developmental stages, with effects varying among species. If we are to conserve grasshoppers, we need to understand their ecology and life histories. The aim of this study was to investigate aspects of the life histories and ecology of two recently described co-occurring, congeneric species of wingless grasshoppers, Eremidium armstrongi (Brown, 2012) and Eremidium browni Otte & Armstrong, 2017, at the Doreen Clark Nature Reserve near Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. These two species have limited extents of occurrence, only being known from an endangered forest type in parts of the midland area of KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, and therefore may need conservation action to ensure their long-term survival. No significant differences in the abundances of the two Eremidium grasshoppers were found, but their phenologies differed, with the adults of E. armstrongi being present before the adults of E. browni, with some overlap in presence over time. The Eremidium grasshoppers were only found in the forest and were more abundant in the forest margin. The Eremidium grasshoppers fed on soft plants from several families. Information on dietary differences between the species is required to determine whether there is potential competition between them. An adult E. browni female kept in an ex situ terrarium laid eggs in the soil, and nymphs took approximately two months to hatch.

A new species of Physocrobylus, P. venetussp. nov., is described from the Nguru Mountains of Tanzania. It is the third species in the genus restricted to Tanzanian localities. While P. venetussp. nov. and P. tessa Hochkirch prefer moister forest communities from lowland to submontane forest in the East Usambara and Nguru Mountains, P. burtti Dirsh is an inhabitant of Miombo woodlands.

Debido a la reciente migración de la ¨Langosta Centroamericana¨ Schistocerca piceifrons piceifrons (Walker, 1870) en algunos países de América Central, la población panameña está preocupada, por la posibilidad de que dicha plaga, que oficialmente aún no ha sido reportada para Panamá, se encuentre en el país. Sumado a ello, algunos medios de comunicación han hecho circular imágenes de una especie de saltamontes, vista con frecuencia en ciudades como David, a la cual le atribuyeron equivocadamente ser la “Langosta Centroamericana”. El objetivo del presente estudio fue identificar dicha especie de Orthoptera, encontrada con frecuencia en áreas urbanas de la Ciudad de David, Chiriquí, Panamá; además de actualizar la distribución conocida de dicha especie en el país y conocer las plantas asociadas a la misma. Para ello, se realizaron colectas en David y localidades próximas, como Alanje, Boquerón, Bugaba y el Corregimiento de Chiriquí. Se colectaron especímenes adultos del saltamontes, los cuales fueron montados e identificados posteriormente en Cerro Punta, Chiriquí, utilizando como apoyo claves taxonómicas, literatura especializada y se revisó dos colecciones entomológicas. Los resultados obtenidos indicaron que, la especie de saltamontes observada frecuentemente en David y localidades próximas correspondió a Taeniopoda varipennis Rehn, 1905 (Orthoptera: Romaleidae), la cual ha sido reportada previamente y no representa una alarma para la Provincia ni tampoco para Panamá, dada la amplia distribución de esta especie en el país. Las colectas realizadas amplían los reportes de la especie para la Provincia de Chiriquí, además de que, durante la investigación se recibió reportes confirmativos de la especie en las Provincias de Veraguas, Coclé, Panamá Oeste y Panamá. En cuanto a la vegetación asociada, se encontró 13 especies diferentes de plantas, confirmando su hábito polífago. Los Acridoidea merecen especial atención, por su capacidad de afectar tanto vegetación silvestre como plantas de interés. Se recomienda continuar investigando este taxón.

For the first time, cytogenetic features of grasshoppers from Iran have been studied. In this paper we conducted a comparative cytogenetic analysis of six species from the family Pamphagidae. The species studied belong to subfamilies Thrinchinae Stål, 1876 (Eremopeza bicoloripes (Moritz, 1928), E. saussurei (Uvarov, 1918)) and Pamphaginae (Saxetania paramonovi (Dirsh, 1927), Tropidauchen escalerai Bolívar, 1912, Tropidauchen sp., and Paranothrotes citimus Mistshenko, 1951). We report information about the chromosome number and morphology, C-banding patterns, and localization of ribosomal DNA clusters and telomeric (TTAGG)n repeats. Among these species, only S. paramonovi had an ancestral Pamphagidae karyotype (2n=18+X0♂; FN=19♂). The karyotypes of the remaining species differed from the ancestral karyotypes. The karyotypes of E. bicoloripes and E. saussurei, despite having the same chromosome number (2n=18+X0♂) had certain biarmed chromosomes (FN=20♂ and FN=34♂ respectively). The karyotypes of T. escalerai and Tropidauchen sp. consisted of eight pairs of acrocentric autosomes, one submetacentric neo-X chromosome and one acrocentric neo-Y chromosome in males (2n=16+neo-X neo-Y♂). The karyotype of P. citimus consisted of seven pairs of acrocentric autosomes, submetacentric the neo-X1 and neo-Y and acrocentric the neo-X2 chromosomes (2n=14+neo-X1 neo-X2 neo-Y♂). Comparative analysis of the localization and size of C-positive regions, the position of ribosomal clusters and the telomeric DNA motif in the chromosomes of the species studied, revealed early unknown features of their karyotype evolution. The data obtained has allowed us to hypothesize that the origin and early phase of evolution of the neo-Xneo-Y♂ sex chromosome in the subfamily Pamphaginae, are linked to the Iranian highlands.

In this study, the whole mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) from four species were sequenced. The complete mitochondrial genomes of Sinopodisma pieli, S. houshana, S. qinlingensis, and S. wulingshanensis are 15,857 bp, 15,818 bp, 15,843 bp, and 15,872 bp in size, respectively. The 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) begin with typical ATN codons, except for COXI in S. qinlingensis, which begins with ACC. The highest A+T content in all the sequenced orthopteran mitogenomes is 76.8% (S. qinlingensis), followed by 76.5% (S. wulingshanensis), 76.4% (S. pieli) and 76.4% (S. houshana) (measured on the major strand). The long polythymine stretches (T-stretch) in the A+T-rich region of the four species are not adjacent to the trnI locus but are inside the stem-loop sequences on the major strand. Moreover, several repeated elements are found in the A+T-rich region of the four species. Phylogenetic analysis based on 53 mitochondrial genomes using Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML) revealed that Melanoplinae (Podismini) was a monophyletic group; however, the monophyly of Sinopodisma was not supported. These data will provide important information for a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationship of Melanoplinae.

Acridids (short-horned-grasshopper) are distributed largely in the agricultural-field, grass-lands, and forests. It may act as a dependable bio-indicator species in response to ecological-stress. Among the acridids found in West Bengal, Spathosternum prasiniferum prasiniferum (Walker, 1871) are multivoltine in nature and were considered for the present study. Azadirachtin is a tetranortri terpenoids present in neem tree (Azadirachta indica), which develops antifeedancy/ growth-regulation/ fecundity-suppression/ sterilization/ oviposition/ repellence and deformity in insect via oxidative stress by the production of free radicals and causes their death. Antioxidants protect insects by scavenging free radicals. This study explored Azadirachtin toxicity on food-indices/biochemical/physiological influences on mid-gut of Spathosternum prasiniferum prasiniferum. Commercially available Azadirachtin was applied (1–20 ppm) on S. pr. prasiniferum for in vivo/in vitro experiment, where gut-tissues were analysed to determine oxidative-stress-markers (ALP/MDA/NPSH/AChE), antioxidant-markers (SOD/CAT/GPx). Food-weight/insect-weight/excreta-weight were recorded before/after the experiment to evaluate the consumption-index(CI), approximate-digestibility(AD), efficiency of conversion of digested-food(ECD) and efficiency of conversion of ingested-food(ECI). Nutrient metabolizing-enzymes (cellulase/amylase) were screened. Azadirachtin (>7 ppm) decreased ECD and restricted food-consumption that increased insect-mortality (50–80%). The gut MDA significantly increased with an impairment of soluble-thiols. The antioxidant-enzymes were variably impaired resulting in tissue-damages more in male than female. Finally, Azadirachtin influenced nutrient-metabolizing-enzymes and antioxidant-enzymes indicating these parameters to be good stress-markers. This finding might be extrapolated for further evaluation of the ecological impact of Azadirachtin on the food chain/web in a composite-ecosystem.

The orthopteran fauna of the Paleocene of Menat Formation (France) is revised. It comprises at least 12 species in the following clades: Grylloidea (an undescribed species, Menatgryllus longixiphus gen. et sp. nov.); Tettigoniidae (Prophasgonura lineatocollis); Elcanidae (Cenoelcanus menatensis gen. et sp. nov.); two Eumastacoidea (Paleochina duvergeri gen. et sp. nov. and Paleochina minuta sp. nov., tentatively placed in the extant family Chorotypidae). These two last taxa are compared to the other described fossil Eumastacoidea. As all these Eumastacoidea are represented by tegmina or hindwings, their previous attributions to the Eumastacidae sensu stricto are questionable. All previously described fossil Caelifera from Menat are considered of uncertain position. Those that were previously considered as Acridoidea are excluded from this clade. In consequence, the oldest described Acridoidea are Oligocene, at the time of diversification of the grasses on which these insects predominantly live, in accordance with the most recent molecular dating of the Acrididae. Cenoelcanus menatensis is the youngest and first Cenozoic representative of the Mesozoic Elcanidae, showing that this family survived the Cretaceous–Paleocene extinction and became extinct during the Paleogene.

Mariner-like elements (MLEs) are among the most widespread DNA transposable elements in eukaryotes. Insects were the first organisms in which MLEs were identified, however the diversity of MLEs in the insect order Orthoptera has not yet been addressed. In the present study, we explore the diversity of MLEs elements in 16 species of Orthoptera belonging to three infraorders, Acridoidea (Caelifera), Grylloidea (Ensifera), and Tettigoniidea (Ensifera) by combining data mined from computational analysis of sequenced degenerative PCR MLE amplicons and available Orthoptera genomic scaffolds. In total, 75 MLE lineages (Ortmar) were identified in all the studied genomes. Automatic phylogeny-based classification suggested that the current known variability of MLEs can be assigned to seven statistically well-supported phylogenetic clusters (I–VII), and the identified Orthoptera lineages were distributed among all of them. The majority of the lineages (36 out of 75) belong to cluster I; 20 belong to cluster VI; and seven, six, four, one and one lineages belong to clusters II, IV, VII, III, and V, respectively. Two of the clusters (II and IV) were composed of a single Orthoptera MLE lineage each (Ortmar37 and Ortmar45, respectively) which were distributed in the vast majority of the studied Orthoptera genomes. Finally, for 16 Orthoptera MLE lineages, horizontal transfer from the distantly related taxa belonging to other insect orders may have occurred. We believe that our study can serve as a basis for future researches on the diversity, distribution, and evolution of MLEs in species of other taxa that are still lacking the sequenced genomes.

Chemosensory proteins (CSPs) are thought to play roles in the insect olfactory system by binding and carrying hydrophobic odorants across the aqueous sensillar lymph. The band-winged grasshopper, Oedaleus asiaticus Bei-Bienko, is one of the most important grasshopper pests in northern China, but there is little information about its olfactory system. In order to investigate the olfactory functions of CSPs in this pest, three CSP genes (OasiCSP4, OasiCSP11 and OasiCSP12) were expressed in Escherichia coli, and the binding affinities of the three recombinant CSP proteins were measured for 16 volatiles from the host plant (Stipa krylovii), fecal material and body of live adult O. asiaticus using fluorescence competitive binding assays. To further verify their olfactory functions, RNA interference (RNAi) and electrophysiological recording were conducted. The three recombinant proteins displayed different degrees of binding to various volatiles in ligand-binding assays, with OasiCSP12 having higher binding affinities for more volatiles than OasiCSP4 and OasiCSP11. OasiCSP12 exhibited strong binding affinities (Ki

To enrich the genomic database of Catantopinae (Orthoptera: Acrididae), mitogenomes of three species from different genera, Traulia nigritibialis (15,701 bp), Choroedocus capensis (16,293 bp) and Stenocatantops splendens (15,574 bp), were characterized and compared with those of other grasshoppers in the subfamily. All 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs) were initiated by ATN codons except COI with ACC (C. capensis and S.splendens) and ND6 with TTG (S. splendens). All transfer RNA (tRNA) genes had a typical clover-leaf structure, except tRNASer(AGN) in which the base pairs of the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm were reduced. The phylogenetic relationships were constructed among 22 species from four subfamiles of Acrididae by classical classifications based on two datasets of their mitogenomes using both Bayesian Inference (BI) and Maximum Likelihood (ML). The phylogenetic analysis confirmed the monophyly of the three other subfamilies, but did not provided support of the monophyly of Catantopinae.

Maternal photoperiodic response is a key factor that affects offspring diapause in migratory locust, Locusta migratoria L. (Orthoptera: Acridoidea). Although many aspects of insect diapause have been studied, little is known about the molecular mechanisms of maternal photoperiodic response that influence diapause regulation. To gain insight into the possible mechanisms of maternal photoperiod influence on diapause regulation, proteomics data by label-free quantification analysis were generated from non-diapause and diapause eggs. A total of 175 proteins were differentially expressed between diapause and non-diapause eggs. Among them, 24 proteins were upregulated, and 151 proteins were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO) analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichments were performed on all differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) and showed that peroxisome, insect hormone biosynthesis, and longevity regulating pathway may be related to diapause of migratory locust. Furthermore, we used qRT-PCR to verify some results of the proteomic analysis. Proteins such as hexamerin-like protein 4, juvenile hormone epoxide hydrolase 1 (JHEH1), cytochrome P450 and heat shock protein (HSP) 20.7 were predicted to be involved in diapause. This study provides an important reference for future research that will explore the mechanisms of diapause induced by maternal effects in migratory locust.

When given a choice, most animals will self-select an optimal blend of nutrients that maximizes growth and reproduction (termed “intake target” or IT). For example, several grasshopper and locust species select a carbohydrate-biased IT, consuming up to double the amount of carbohydrate relative to protein, thereby increasing growth, survival, and migratory capacity. ITs are not static, and there is some evidence they can change through ontogeny, with activity, and in response to environmental factors. However, little research has investigated how these factors influence the relative need for different nutrients and how subsequent shifts in ITs affect the capacity of animals to acquire an optimal diet in nature. In this study, we determined the ITs of 5th instar (final juvenile stage) Melanoplus sanguinipes (Fabricius, 1798), a prevalent crop and rangeland grasshopper pest in the United States, using two wild populations and one lab colony. We simultaneously collected host plants to determine the nutritional landscapes available to the wild populations and measured the performance of the lab colony on restricted diets. Overall, we found that the diet of the wild populations was more carbohydrate-biased than their lab counterparts, as has been found in other grasshopper species, and that their ITs closely matched their nutritional landscape. However, we also found that M. sanguinipes had the lowest performance metrics when feeding on the highest carbohydrate diets, whereas more balanced diets or protein-rich diets had higher performance metrics. This research may open avenues for studying how management strategies coincide with nutritional physiology to develop low-dose treatments specific to the nutritional landscape for the pest of interest.

Made available in DSpace on 2022-04-29T08:37:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2021-12-01 In Acridoidea grasshoppers, chromosomal rearrangements are frequently found as deviations from the standard acrocentric karyotype (2n = 23♂/24♀, FN = 23♂/24♀) in either phylogenetically unrelated species or shared by closely related ones, i.e. genus. In the South American subfamily Ommexechinae, most of the species show a unique karyotype (2n = 23♂/24♀, FN = 25♂/26♀) owing to the occurrence of a large autosomal pair (L1) with submetacentric morphology. In the early 1960s, Alejo Mesa proposed the hypothesis of an ancestral pericentric inversion to explain this karyotype variation. Furthermore, in Ommexechinae, extra chromosomal rearrangements (e.g. centric fusions) are recorded between the ancestral X chromosome and autosomes that originated the so-called neo-sex chromosomes. However, the evolutionary significance of the pericentric inversions and centric fusions in Ommexechinae remains poorly explored. Aiming for a better understanding of chromosomal evolution in Ommexechinae, we performed a detailed cytogenetic analysis in five species. Our findings support the hypothesis about the occurrence of an early pericentric inversion in the ancestor of Ommexechinae. Moreover, our results show a complex karyotype diversification pattern due to several chromosome rearrangements, variations in heterochromatin and repetitive DNA dynamics. Finally, the chromosomal mapping of U2 snDNA in L1 provided new insights about the morphological evolution of this autosomal pair and revealed unnoticed chromosome reorganizations. Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva Dr. Claudio J. Bidau. Instituto de Biología Subtropical (IBS) CONICET-UNaM. FCEQyN, Posadas, Misiones Departamento de Genética e Biologia Evolutiva Instituto de Biociências Universidade de São Paulo (USP) São Paulo Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências/IB, Rio Claro Department of Organismal Biology-Systematic Biology Program Evolutionary Biology Centre Uppsala University Departamento de Biologia Geral e Aplicada Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências/IB, Rio Claro

Locusts and grasshoppers are one of the most dangerous agricultural pests. Environmentally benign microbial pesticides are increasingly desirable for controlling locust outbreaks in fragile ecosystems. Here we use metagenomic sequencing to profile the rich viral communities in 34 grasshopper species and report 322 viruses, including 202 novel species. Most of the identified viruses are related to other insect viruses and some are targeted by antiviral RNAi pathway, indicating they infect grasshoppers. Some plant/fungi/vertebrate associated viruses are also abundant in our samples. Our analysis of relationships between host and virus phylogenies suggests that the composition of viromes is closely allied with host evolution, and there is significant phylogenetic relatedness between grasshoppers and viruses from Lispiviridae, Partitiviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Virgaviridae and Flaviviridae. Overall, this study is a thorough exploration of viruses in grasshoppers and provide an essential evolutionary and ecological context for host-virus interaction in Acridoidea.Author SummaryLocusts are the most destructive migratory pest in the world and continue to cause massive damages that endanger food security and threaten millions of people in 21st century. While chemical pesticides are still heavily relied on, biological pesticides developed from natural pathogens offer a reliable, less harmful alternative for controlling locust outbreaks in fragile ecosystems. Unfortunately, little is known about natural pathogens infecting this pest. In this study, we profile the viral communities in 34 grasshopper species include some major swarming species. While we identified as many as 202 novel viral species associated with grasshoppers, some of them are of potential to be developed as biocontrol agents. Our analysis of relatedness of phylogenies of grasshoppers and associated viruses helps to shed light on the eco-evolutionary interactions between insects and viruses. This work provides a valuable dataset of both academic and applied interest.

A new species and a key to eleven species of of the genus Conophyma Zobovsky, 1898 from China is described in this paper. The new species Conophyma lini sp. nov. is similar to C. xiai Zhang et al, 2015, but differs from latter by: vertex longer, apex narrower; minimum width of interspace 1.6 times length in mesosternum; posterior margin of epiproct waved, with angular projection in the middle, furculae small and width of Epiphallus 2.5 times high. Type specimens are deposited in the Northwest Plateau Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, Qinghai 810001, China.

The complete Eclipophleps carinata mitogenome was sequenced through Illumina HiSeq 2500 platform and the resulting data were analyzed in this paper. The mitochondrial genome of E. carinata is a typ...