Hexapoda, Insecta … Orthopteroid Orders Head & Mouthparts
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Orthoptera Greek: orthos: straight Taxonomy and Biology of the ptera:wings “Orthopteroid” insects Closely related to earwigs and stick insects. Biting mouthparts. Roy Bateman Medium to large Systematics L2 exopterygote insects www.dropdata.org/entomology Neoptera: ability to fold wings back over their abdomen, using special structures at the ary © RPB 2009; orthoptera1 v. 1.6 base of their wings (occasionally 2 loss) ToLWeb*: Hexapoda, Insecta … Orthopteroid orders Dermaptera (earwigs) Grylloblattodea Insecta, Pterygota (rock crawlers) Ephemeroptera Phasmida (stick and Odonata leaf insects) Neoptera Orthoptera (sensu stricto) Dictyoptera Mantodea (mantids) Isoptera (termites) Blattaria (cockroaches) Dictyoptera other Orthopteroid orders Hemipteroids Endopterygota *The Tree of Life Web Project (ToL) http://tolweb.org/Insecta Head & mouthparts Grasshopper Cockroach 1 Phasmida: stick & leaf insects Phasmida as pests Large insects, often Eurycantha exquisitely camouflaged calcerata Sexual dimorphism usual Distinctive single eggs (often resembling seeds) Feed almost exclusively on the leaves of Angiosperms (probably originally exploited niches provided by these plants in later Cretaceous Period) No native British spp. Orthoptera sensu stricto Common diagnostic features (formerly Saltatoria) (for sub-orders & families) A group of more than 20,000 species which Relative proportion and shape of legs, tarsal vary enormously in abundance, biology, size, segments population characteristics, etc. Antennae & cerci Found in all but the coldest parts of the Method of stridulation and auditory organs world - but mostly tropical. Reproductive organs There are major pests but other species are threatened with extinction, relatively few are Others: shape of pronotum, palps, etc. of economic importance. Most species are phytophagous although NB: Colour often NOT a good guide for some species are carnivorous. identification Orthoptera: 2 Sub Orders Stridulation Antennae with >30 segments Antennae with <30 segments (usually long and thread-like) (usually not thread-like); [except Cooloolidae]; If present, auditory (tympanal) If present, auditory (tympanal) organs at the base of the abdomen; organs on the fore tibiae; If exhibited, stridulation usually by If exhibited, stridulation by rubbing pegs on inside of hind femur rubbing together of fore wings. against ridge on fore wings. Often nocturnal Mostly diurnal ENSIFERA CAELIFERA Caelifera: Acrididae Ensifera: Tettigoniidae acknowledgement: Oliver Cheesman 2 1. Ensifera Grasshopper songs Tarsi 4-segmented; Tarsi 4-segmented; Tarsi 3-segmented; Auditory and stridulatory Auditory and Auditory and apparatus usually absent stridulatory apparatus stridulatory apparatus usually present usually present GRYLLACRIDOIDEA TETTIGONIOIDEA GRYLLOIDEA RAPHIDOPHORIDAE TETTIGONIIDAE GRYLLIDAE GRYLLACRIDIDAE etc. HAGLIDAE GRYLLOTALPIDAE Camel cricket Bush cricket (US: Kadydid) ovipositor tympanal organs on 1st abdominal segment (behind 3rd legs) Tettigoniidae: occasional pests & natural Tettigoniidae: bush crickets (katydids) enemies (e.g. ‘sexavae’ on oil palm stridulation of fore wings. Segestes nymph tympanal (parthenogenetic) organs on fore tibiae Segestidea defolaria Hexacentrus: a predator photo: C. Dewhurst Gryllotalpidae: Mole crickets Crickets (Gryllidae) in the UK “Gryllotalpa africana” - pest of upland rice and vegetables in Africa and Asia. ¾ Now known to be several species - distinguished by song house cricket wood cricket field cricket Acheta domesticus Gryllus campestris 3 Gryllidae: features Orthoptera in the UK • In the UK, a number of Orthoptera are on the very northern edge of their wider geographic range. • Orthopteran fauna shows a very strong southerly bias in distribution. Many species restricted to the far south of the country, especially southern coastal margin. ovipositor • Approximately a quarter of these: occasional migrants, accidental introductions or established exotic species (e.g. house cricket Acheta domestica). • 30 Orthoptera are considered native to the British Isles, of which 27 occur on the mainland: cerci Tettigoniidae (10 spp) Acrididae (10 spp) Gryllidae (3 spp) Tetrigidae (3 spp) Gryllotalpidae (1 sp) Protected species Orthoptera: conservation “Flagship” species: protected in 6 species have recognised conservation status in the UK their own right, but also to Large marsh grasshopper: conserve important habitats. (quaking bogs: photos:courtesy Oliver Cheesman New Forest) Common name Red Data Mainland Book distribution Wart biter Gryllotalpa mole cricket EN scattered records in (pristine downland: gryllotalpa England Kent / Sussex) Gryllus field cricket EN 1 southern site campestris Decticus wart-biter VU 5 southern sites verrucivorus Stethophyma large marsh VU Dorset/New grossum grasshopper Forest EN: endangered, VU: vulnerable 2. Caelifera Acrididae: Hind tarsi 3-segmented [middle Hind tarsi 1 or 2-segmented biology segment reduced in Tetrigidae] ACRIDOIDEA TRIDACTYLOIDEA EUMASTACOIDEA TETRIGOIDEA 1990: (but pathogen chapter Trigonopterygoidea , etc. out of date!) 4 Acrididae: grasshoppers & locusts Morphology Field Tropical forest Often cryptic:stridulation Often visual signals tympanal organ (when present) on 1st abdominal segment S: spiracles Chorthippus parallelus Genitalia (the meadow grasshopper) Ovipositor valves - • Normally short and stout for digging brachypterous abdomen capable of great • May become elongation … macropterous in hot summers (apterous: wingless) Ritchie et al. (1987) Ecol. Entomol. 12, 209-218. Female Male Acrididae: life cycle Acrididae: grasshoppers & locusts Pyrgomorph Acridomorph aposematic coloration common frequently cryptic e.g. Desert locust Poekilocerus bufonius Schistocerca gregaria: Locustana pardalina • 2-6 months total (brown locust) • Solitarious form may have 6 instars • Female lays eggs in bare sandy soil: moist 50-100 mm below surface (probes surface with abdomen before laying) 5 Eumastaceidae: Plagiotriptus (Manowia): Plagiotriptus: management a forest defoliator of C&E. Africa • eggs laid in soil near base of trunk • sticky bands used to prevent nymphs climbing to canopy Thermoregulation Body temperature of brown locust in relation to ambient temperature in the Karoo, S. Africa Hopper band of brown locust (in S. 60 Africa) Body temperature Soil temperature 50 20cm temperature C) o 40 30 20 Temperature ( Temperature 10 0 06:00 08:00 10:00 12:00 14:00 16:00 18:00 Time of day Summary ¾ “Orthopteroid” orders: medium to large exopterygote insects with biting mouthparts ¾ Orthoptera sensu stricto with 2 main groups: Ensifera: crickets, bush crickets, etc. Caelifera: grasshoppers, groundhoppers, etc. ¾ Most species in tropics - in N. Europe at edge of their range and may be protected ¾ Locust & grasshoppers most important pest species - knowledge of biology and ecology important for control strategy … 6.