Vol. 22 (September 2020) Environment

Note on golden-spotted tiger beetle

S. B. Kharbade1 and M.S. Bharati2 Associate Dean, College of Agriculture, Nandurbar and 2. Assistant Professor of Agril. Entomology, College of Agriculture, Nandurbar-425 412 Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri (Maharashtra). Corresponding author: [email protected]

Tiger beetles, Cicindela aurulenta (Carabidae: Coleoptera) are known for being aggressive predators and for their fast running speed. In fact, the fastest species of tiger beetle can run at a speed of 9 km/h (5.6 mph). To put that into perspective, that’s about 125 body lengths per second. They can be found in a wide range of sandy habitats, including near shorelines, river bars, sand dunes, mangrove fragments and forest trails and mostly observed in hilly forest areas of Nandurbar

Photo credit to Author : Dr. S. B. Kharbade (210 75'N Latitude and 74012’ E Longitude).

113 Vol. 22 (September 2020) Insect Environment

Note on painted

S. B. Kharbade1 and M.S. Bharati2 1. Associate Dean, College of Agriculture, Nandurbar and 2. Assistant Professor of Agril. Entomology, College of Agriculture, Nandurbar-425 412 Mahatma Phule Krishi Vidyapeeth, Rahuri (Maharashtra). Corresponding author: [email protected] Painted grasshopper pictus (: ) is a large brightly coloured grasshopper found in the Indian subcontinent. Nymphs of the species are notorious for squirting a jet of liquid up to several inches away when grasped. It is also known as Aak grasshopper or locally in a few tribal areas called titighodo. The grasshopper feeds on the poisonous plant , found on other host plants such as Nerium spp., Cassia spp., Pongamia spp. etc. Upon slight pinching of the head or abdomen, the half- grown immature form ejects liquid in a sharp and sudden jet, with a range of two inches or more, from a dorsal opening between the first and second abdominal segments. The discharge is directed towards the pinched area and may be repeated several times. The liquid is pale and milky, slightly viscous and bad-tasting, containing cardiac glycosides that the insect obtains from the plant it feeds upon. In the adult, the discharge occurs under the tegmina and collects as a viscous bubbly heap along the sides of the body

Photo credit to Author Dr. S. B. Kharbade

114