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Field diet of the grasshopper Abracris dilecta Walker (Orthoptera, Acrididae)

Abstract

Abracris dilecta Walker, 1870 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Ommatolampinae) ate leafs of at least 14 plant species, in the families Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvales (Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae or Malvaceae), Poaceae, Fabaceae, Verbenaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Rubiaceae and Melastomataccae. Elephantopus mollis H.B.K. (Asteraceae) and Hyptis suaveolens Poit. (Lamiaceae) comprised 50% of the diet. The diet breadth of A. dilecta was compared to that of other 11 grasshopper species of the same sub-family, with rarefaction curves. The number of plant species eaten by A. dilecta was greater than that of nine other grasshopper species of the same sub-family (Rhachicreagra spp.) but was lower then two others (Microptylopteryx hebardi Rehn, 1905 and Rhachicreagra astytophallus Jago & Rowell, 1981). This results are discussed in view of the broad geographical range and possession of developed wings by A. dilecta, which contrasts with most Ommatolampinae grasshoppers.

herbivory; diet breadth; tropical dry forest edge; Neotropical region; Brazil


Field diet of the grasshopper Abracris dilecta Walker (Orthoptera, Acrididae)

Carlos Frankl Sperber

Departamento de Biologia Geral, Setor de Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa. 36570-000 Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil

ABSTRACT

Abracris dilecta Walker, 1870 (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Ommatolampinae) ate leafs of at least 14 plant species, in the families Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvales (Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae or Malvaceae), Poaceae, Fabaceae, Verbenaceae, Aristolochiaceae, Rubiaceae and Melastomataccae. Elephantopus mollis H.B.K. (Asteraceae) and Hyptis suaveolens Poit. (Lamiaceae) comprised 50% of the diet. The diet breadth of A. dilecta was compared to that of other 11 grasshopper species of the same sub-family, with rarefaction curves. The number of plant species eaten by A. dilecta was greater than that of nine other grasshopper species of the same sub-family (Rhachicreagra spp.) but was lower then two others (Microptylopteryx hebardi Rehn, 1905 and Rhachicreagra astytophallus Jago & Rowell, 1981). This results are discussed in view of the broad geographical range and possession of developed wings by A. dilecta, which contrasts with most Ommatolampinae grasshoppers.

Key words: herbivory, diet breadth, tropical dry forest edge. Neotropical region, Brazil

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. To T. M. Lewinsohn, A. Mesa, F. S. Andrade and M. E. M. Habib, for the suggestions and encouragement. C. S. Carbonell and H. F. Leitão Filho helped with the identifications. Instituto de Biologia, Letras e Ciências Exatas, UNESP, for laboratory and computational facilities. This work was done as part of a M.Sc. dissertation, Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas. Financial support was provided by the CNPq and FMB.

Recebido em 25.II.1995; aceito em 02.VIII.1996.

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Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    23 July 2009
  • Date of issue
    1996

History

  • Accepted
    02 Aug 1996
  • Received
    25 Feb 1995
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