Taxonomic Studies on the Gaudy Grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphoidea: Pyrgomorphidae) from the Northeastern States of India
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OPEN ACCESS The Journal of Threatened Taxa is dedicated to building evidence for conservaton globally by publishing peer-reviewed artcles online every month at a reasonably rapid rate at www.threatenedtaxa.org. All artcles published in JoTT are registered under Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License unless otherwise mentoned. JoTT allows unrestricted use of artcles in any medium, reproducton, and distributon by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publicaton. Journal of Threatened Taxa Building evidence for conservaton globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Communication Taxonomic studies on the gaudy grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphoidea: Pyrgomorphidae) from the northeastern states of India M. Imran Khan, M. Kamil Usmani, Shahnila Usmani & Hira Naz 26 December 2018 | Vol. 10 | No. 15 | Pages: 12953-12968 10.11609/jot.3891.10.15.12953-12968 For Focus, Scope, Aims, Policies and Guidelines visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-0 For Artcle Submission Guidelines visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/submissions#onlineSubmissions For Policies against Scientfc Misconduct visit htps://threatenedtaxa.org/index.php/JoTT/about/editorialPolicies#custom-2 For reprints contact <[email protected]> Publisher & Host Partners Member Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2018 | 10(15): 12953–12968 Taxonomic studies on the gaudy grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphoidea: Pyrgomorphidae) Communication from the northeastern states of India ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) M. Imran Khan 1 , M. Kamil Usmani 2 , Shahnila Usmani 3 & Hira Naz 4 OPEN ACCESS 1,2,3,4 Secton of Entomology, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, Utar Pradesh 202002, India 1 [email protected] (corresponding author), 2 [email protected], 3 [email protected], 4 [email protected] Abstract: A survey of the northeastern states of India recorded 10 species representng fve genera belonging to four tribes of the family Pyrgomorphidae. For identfcaton, in additon to conventonal morphological characters, the detailed structures of male and female genitalia were also included. All the genera studied are described. Morphometry and distributon of each species are also given. Keywords: Caelifera, Pyrgomorphidae, tribes, species, key. DOI: htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.3891.10.15.12953-12968 | ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:05A3C45B-0203-4FCA-A791-C9F909DFE18C Editor: R.K. Avasthi (Retd. Associate Professor/Head), Vaish College, Rohtak, India. Date of publicaton: 26 December 2018 (online & print) Manuscript details: Ms # 3891 | Received 14 November 2017 | Final received 14 September 2018 | Finally accepted 20 October 2018 Citaton: Khan, M.I., M.K. Usmani, S. Usmani & H. Naz (2018). Taxonomic studies on the gaudy grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Pyrgomorphoidea: Pyrgomorphidae) from the northeastern states of India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 10(15): 12953–12968; htps://doi.org/10.11609/jot.3891.10.15.12953-12968 Copyright: © Khan et al. 2018. Creatve Commons Atributon 4.0 Internatonal License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this artcle in any medium, reproducton and distributon by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publicaton. Funding: The University Grants Commission, New Delhi, for providing fnancial assistance during the tenure of a major research project (Ref. no. 33-33/2007 (SR)). Competng interests: The authors declare no competng interests. Author Details: MIK has completed PhD in Zoology, interested in taxonomy, biodiversity and ecology of insects. He has successfully completed a research project funded by UGC enttled with “Studies on the taxonomy and diversity of Acridoidea (Orthoptera) in North-Eastern States of India” (1st April, 2008 – 31st March, 2011). MKU is a Professor, Secton of Entomology, research interest lies in the taxonomy, biology, ecology and biodiversity of insect pests of agricultural importance and in their biological control through the use of insect natural enemies. SU has completed PhD in Zoology, interested in taxonomy, biodiversity and ecology of insects. HN is a PhD student, interested in taxonomy, biodiversity and ecology of insects. Author Contributon: All authors contributed equally. Acknowledgements: We wish to extend our grattude to the University Grants Commission, New Delhi for providing fnancial assistance during the tenure of a major research project (Ref. no. 33-33/2007 (SR)) being carried out on “Studies on taxonomy and diversity of northeastern States of India”. 12953 Taxonomic studies on gaudy grasshoppers Khan et al. INTRODUCTION four tribes belonging to the family Pyrgomorphidae. Pyrgomorphidae is a family of the order Orthoptera under the suborder Caelifera. Its members are MATERIAL AND METHODS commonly known as Gaudy Grasshoppers in the superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea. Some members (tribes A survey for collecton of Pyrgomorphid specimens Atractomorphini and Psednurini) are green in colour during 2008–2011 from grasslands and agricultural while others (tribe Monistrini) have bright warning felds of northeastern states was carried out. Specimens colours. The present study was based on conventonal were handpicked or collected using sweeping nets. All morphological characters along with a detailed study the collected specimens were preserved in 70% ethyl of genital structures of Pyrgomorphidae for a beter alcohol. Specimens were stretched and photographed. understanding of the signifcance of morphological For genitalic studies, the apical tp of the abdomen was structures. A comparatve study was done on the cut and boiled in 10% KOH soluton and the genital genitalia with reference to supra-anal plate and cerci, structures were isolated. All drawings were prepared subgenital plate, epiphallus, and aedeagus of the male under camera lucida (Nikon SMZ 25). Descriptons of and the supra-anal plate, subgenital plate, ovipositor, male genitalia follow the terminologies used in Dirsh and spermatheca of the female. (1956a). All observatons on morphometry are given in In the present study, Pyrgomorphidae is recognized as millimetres. a family of superfamily Pyrgomorphoidea. Kirby (1910, 1914) prepared a catalogue for Acrididae (including this Family: Pyrgomorphidae Brunner von Watenwyl, 1874 group) of the world and a volume of Fauna of Britsh Brunner von Watenwyl. 1874. Ver. Der. Zool. Ges. India including the fauna of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri 24:22. Lanka, and Burma. Later, Chopard (1924a), Uvarov Diagnosis: Body of variable shapes, head acutely (1925, 1929), and Ayyar (1940) also worked on the Indian conical, fastgial furrow present. Prosternal process species of Pyrgomorphidae. present. Elytra and wings fully developed, reduced, Kevan et al. (1970) worked on the taxonomy of the or absent. Tympanam normally present. The lower oriental taxa of Pyrgopmorphidae. Bhowmik (1964), basal lobe of hind femur longer than the upper one. Tandon & Shishodia (1969, 1989), Tandon (1976), Brunner’s organ present except in a few genera, with Bhowmik & Halder (1983), and Usmani & Shafee (1985) thin, almost cursorial hind legs. External apical spine of worked on the taxonomy of various genera and species hind tbia present or absent. Ectophallus diferentated; of Pyrgomorphinae from diferent parts of India. cingulum capsule-like; valves of penis paired, undivided; The system of classifying grasshoppers by earlier spermatophore sac in dorsal positon. Epiphallus bridge- workers was mainly based on easily recognizable shaped, with dorso-lateral appendices; ancore absent; externally visible characters. Slifer & King (1936), Slifer lophi hook-like. Oval sclerites absent. No stridulatory (1939, 1940, 1943), Dirsh (1957a,b), and Meinodas mechanism known. The Pyrgomorphidae is a very well et al. (1982) showed the taxonomic signifcance of defned family, with a peculiar phallic complex which spermatheca in Acrididae. is rather uniform through the family. The relatonship Dirsh & Uvarov (1953) studied the apical valve of with other families is rather obscure and no close aedeagus in three species of Anacridium. Dirsh (1956a,b) afnites exist. They have some common features with showed the importance of aedeagus in classifying and Lentulidae, such as undivided paired valves of the penis grouping various families of Acridoidea. and the dorsal positon of the spermatophore sac, and Herrera & Schnidrig (1983) described the male others with Ommexechidae, such as the presence of a genitalia of 64 species of Orthoptera from Navarra. fastgial forrow and the paired undivided valves of the Usmani & Ajaili (1993) showed the taxonomic signifcance penis. All other characters, however, are so distnct that of aedeagus in some Libyan species of Acridoidea. Ajaili the relatonship is a very remote one. Pyrgomorphidae & Usmani (1994) made comparatve studies on the male is represented in all the tropical and subtropical parts of subgenital and supra-anal plates and cerci in some Libyan the world by a large number of genera, a list of which species of Acridoidea. appears unnecessary. Kumar et al. (2014) conducted a comprehensive study on the male supra-anal plate, cerci, and subgenital plate in 12 species of grasshoppers representng six genera under 12954 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 December 2018 | 10(15): 12953–12968 Taxonomic studies on gaudy grasshoppers Khan et al. Key to the tribes of the family Pyrgomorphidae Brunner