Vol 6 Issue 11Dec 2016 ISSN No : 2230-7850 ORIGINAL ARTICLE International Multidisciplinary Research Journal Indian Streams Research Journal Executive Editor Editor-in-Chief Ashok Yakkaldevi H.N.Jagtap Welcome to ISRJ RNI MAHMUL/2011/38595 ISSN No.2230-7850 Indian Streams Research Journal is a multidisciplinary research journal, published monthly in English, Hindi & Marathi Language. All research papers submitted to the journal will be double - blind peer reviewed referred by members of the editorial board.Readers will include investigator in universities, research institutes government and industry with research interest in the general subjects. Regional Editor Dr. T. Manichander Mr. Dikonda Govardhan Krushanahari Professor and Researcher , Rayat shikshan sanstha’s, Rajarshi Chhatrapati Shahu College, Kolhapur. International Advisory Board Kamani Perera Mohammad Hailat Hasan Baktir Regional Center For Strategic Studies, Sri Dept. of Mathematical Sciences, English Language and Literature Lanka University of South Carolina Aiken Department, Kayseri Janaki Sinnasamy Abdullah Sabbagh Ghayoor Abbas Chotana Librarian, University of Malaya Engineering Studies, Sydney Dept of Chemistry, Lahore University of Management Sciences[PK] Romona Mihaila Ecaterina Patrascu Spiru Haret University, Romania Spiru Haret University, Bucharest Anna Maria Constantinovici AL. I. Cuza University, Romania Delia Serbescu Loredana Bosca Spiru Haret University, Bucharest, Spiru Haret University, Romania Ilie Pintea, Romania Fabricio Moraes de Almeida Spiru Haret University, Romania Anurag Misra Federal University of Rondonia, Brazil Xiaohua Yang DBS College, Kanpur George - Calin SERITAN PhD, USA Titus PopPhD, Partium Christian Faculty of Philosophy and Socio-Political ......More University, Oradea,Romania Sciences Al. I. Cuza University, Iasi Editorial Board Pratap Vyamktrao Naikwade Iresh Swami Rajendra Shendge ASP College Devrukh,Ratnagiri,MS India Ex - VC. Solapur University, Solapur Director, B.C.U.D. Solapur University, Solapur R. R. Patil N.S. Dhaygude Head Geology Department Solapur Ex. Prin. Dayanand College, Solapur R. R. Yalikar University,Solapur Director Managment Institute, Solapur Narendra Kadu Rama Bhosale Jt. Director Higher Education, Pune Umesh Rajderkar Prin. and Jt. Director Higher Education, Head Humanities & Social Science Panvel K. M. Bhandarkar YCMOU,Nashik Praful Patel College of Education, Gondia Salve R. N. S. R. Pandya Department of Sociology, Shivaji Sonal Singh Head Education Dept. Mumbai University, University,Kolhapur Vikram University, Ujjain Mumbai Govind P. Shinde G. P. Patankar Alka Darshan Shrivastava Bharati Vidyapeeth School of Distance S. D. M. Degree College, Honavar, Karnataka Shaskiya Snatkottar Mahavidyalaya, Dhar Education Center, Navi Mumbai Maj. S. Bakhtiar Choudhary Rahul Shriram Sudke Chakane Sanjay Dnyaneshwar Director,Hyderabad AP India. Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore Arts, Science & Commerce College, Indapur, Pune S.Parvathi Devi S.KANNAN Ph.D.-University of Allahabad Annamalai University,TN Awadhesh Kumar Shirotriya Secretary,Play India Play,Meerut(U.P.) Sonal Singh, Satish Kumar Kalhotra Vikram University, Ujjain Maulana Azad National Urdu University Address:-Ashok Yakkaldevi 258/34, Raviwar Peth, Solapur - 413 005 Maharashtra, India Cell : 9595 359 435, Ph No: 02172372010 Email: [email protected] Website: www.isrj.org Indian Streams Research Journal ISSN: 2230-7850 Impact Factor : 4.1625(UIF) Volume - 6 | Issue - 11 | December - 2016 BIODIVERSITY OF GRASSHOPPERS IN WASHIM DISTRICT (MAHARASHTRA), INDIA Mohale M. P. , Patil P. S. and B. R. Biyani Post Graduate and Research Department of zoology, R.A. Arts, M.K. Commerce and Shri S.R. Rathi Science Mahavidhyalay, Washim . ABSTRACT and soil conditions. India _ iodiversity can _ provides a unique habitat i n d i c a t e for this group of insects, _ Benv ir o n m enta l _ for there exist humid quality and is change over c o m m o n l y s e e n i n _ time. Biodiversity is often _ autumn; a few appear in _ c o n s i d e r e d t o b e _ summer and spring. synonymous with species Habitat can varied, _ richness and relative _ ranging from moist rain species abundance. forests to hot deserts (Key _ Insects are a class of _ and Hazra 2003). The agricultural lands. Family of species richness, that is invertebrates within the _ habitats are generally _ arthropod phylum that _ Acrididae show maximum the number of species of concentrated in areas diversity, comprising _ plants, animals and _ h a v e a c h i t i n o u s _ that have low growing exoskeleton. Orthoptera 8,000 species and 28 _ microorganism occurring plants, since they like to _ _ is one of the largest order genera are endemic. _ in a given habitat (Wilson eat grass, leaves, and of insect comprising G r a s s h o p p e r s a r e 1991).Insectbiodiversity cereal crops. Grasshop- _ _ 26,550 valid species _ dominant species in accounts for a large pers are insects that found throughout the terrestrial landscapes _ p r o p o r t i o n o f a l l belonging to order _ _ world. These insects having integral ecological _ biodiversity on the orthoptera and suborder roles the largest and most p l a n e t , w i t h o v e r _ _ belong to the order _ Caelifera (Arnett 2004). Orthoptera and suborder plentiful insects, yet they 1,000,000 insect species The order is divided into _ _ Caelifera. Again this order _ are least studied and described.Orthoptera is t w o s u b o r d e r i . e . is divided into two p o o r l y k n o w n f o r _ one of the largest order of Caelifera called short _ _ suborder i.e. Caelifera conservation. The present _ insect comprising 26,550 horned grasshopper and investigation reveals the valid species found _ and Ensifera. Acrididea is _ Ensifera called long _ the largest super family occurrence of 12 species throughout the world. horned grasshoppers. _ o f g r a s s h o p p e r s _ c o m p r i s i n g 1 1 , 0 0 0 _ The order othroptera are Acrididea is the largest species worldwide and belonging to 4 families _ distributed throughout super family comprising _ _ and 11 genera from out of that 290 species _ the physiographic zones 11,000 species worldwide representing 138 genera W a s h i m r e g i o n o f of the world but their and out of that 290 _ _ reported from India. The _ Maharashtra. distribution largely species representing 138 _ d e p e n d s u p o n t h e order othroptera are _ genera reported from _ distributed throughout KEYWORDS:Grasshopper _ vegetation prevailing in India (Shishodia et al., s, Biodiversity, Washim, _ _ grass fields, forests and the physiographic zones _ 2010). Family Acrididae of the world but their Maharashtra. agricultural lands. Distri- show maximum diversity, _ _ distribution largely _ bution of grasshoppersis comprising 8,000 species d e p e n d s u p o n t h e INTRODUCTION: _ d ete r m i n e d by t h e and 28 genera are _ _ vegetation prevailing in Biodiversity may be _ Temperature, seasonal endemic (Chandra and grass fields, forests and defined as, the total sum precipitation of rain fall _ Gupta 2013). _ _ Available online at www.lsrj.in 1 BIODIVERSITY OF GRASSHOPPERS IN WASHIM DISTRICT (MAHARASHTRA), INDIA Volume - 6 | Issue - 11 | December - 2016 Grasshoppers are funnily shaped and are distinguishable by their long legs and the surprisingly loud noise they make grasshoppers insects which can jump, walk and fly. They are divided into, head, thorax and abdomen. They also have 2 antennae, 2 pairs of wings and 6 legs. Grasshoppers are Migrate In case of adverse conditions, they can travel 15 miles or more per day. An adult grasshopper goes through the stages egg, immature (nymph) and adult, and has a lifespan of approximately one year.The diversity of grasshoppers has been studied by various researchers throughout India (Khalid 2013) morphological study of grasshoppers in Azadnagar, Walgaon Road, Amravati (Prabakar et al., 2015) studied Diversity of Insecta. Orthoptera of Kanchipuram District in Tamil Nadu, taxonomy distributionof Acridoidea (Orthoptera) of Bihar reported by, (Usmani and Nayeem 2012), (More and Nikam 2016) Studied on grasshoppers (Orthoptera) In Tilari Forest, Chandgad, Kolhapur District of Maharashtra (India), in which 17 species were studied. (Akhtar et al., 2014) They carried out Abundance, Distribution and Taxonomic Studies on hemiacridinae (Acrididae: Acridoidea: Orthoptera) In Uttar Pradesh, India in which they studied Members of the subfamily are large sized and generally called rice grasshoppers. Orthoptera play an important role in the food chain by providing an abundant amount of protein to their predator’s diets as well as nutrients to plants and also contribute to nutrient turnover in the ecosystem by returning nutrients as fertilizer to plants the study of grasshoppers play important ecological role in forest ecosystem. Study of grasshoppers is needed because a large number of grasshoppers species are under the risk of extinction is the indication of environment influence. Insect outbreaks may have significant effects on an avian biodiversity, either directly by altering food availability or indirectly by altering habitat suitability.There is need to study biodiversity of grasshoppers in Washim region, as there were no previous records of grasshoppers and their diversity from this region The study of grasshoppers play important ecological role in forest ecosystem in initiating and promoting the decay process of dead specimens. 3. MATERIALS AND METHODS Description of Study area:- Washim is located in the eastern region of Vidharbha and is one of four municipal councils of Washim district of Maharashtra.