Gomphocerinae, Fieber, 1853

Sultana, Riffat & Song, Hojun, 2024, Annotated catalogue of Pakistani Acrididae (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Acridoidea), Zootaxa 5486 (1), pp. 1-47 : 24

Gomphocerinae

( Fig.5 )

Geographical Distribution: Pakistan ( Ahmed 1980; Wagan 1990; Wagan & Solangi, 1990; Wagan & Baloch 1997; Tokhai 1996; Yousuf 1996; Suhail et al. 2000; Sultana & Wagan 2003; Wagan & Sultana 2013; Sultana 2020)

Comments

The species of the subfamily Gomphocerinae include both plain and widely distributed forms and montane highly localized species. The great majority are of comparatively small size and are largely graminivorous. The habitat of gomphocerines tends to be tall grasses in open fields. The form and color of many species allow them to blend in with stems and blades of grass, making them difficult to detect until they move. Most species feed predominantly on grasses ( Sultana & Wagan 2015). Gomphocerinae is the second-largest subfamily of Pakistan’s Acrididae , with 30 species represented by four tribes and three genera of uncertain tribe assignments. Within the Gomphocerinae , Ochrilidiini ,and Gomphocerini represent two especially species-rich tribes. Gelastorhinus , Mesopsis ,and Stenohippus are not yet classified in a defined tribe. The species of Dociostaurini were collected from Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, whereas the species of other tribes, Arcypterini , Gomphocerini , and Ochrilidini , occur in all the provinces of Pakistan. The tribe Ochrilidini includes an economically and ecologically important genus, Ochrilidia ( Jago 1977) , which is widely distributed throughout the country. This tribe also includes genera Gonista , Oxypterna , and Kirmania . This latter genus has not been authentically recorded from Pakistan. Two species of the genus Gonista ( G. rotundata and G. sagitta , an Iranian-origin species), have been recorded from the Oriental part of the country ( Wagan & Sultana 2013). However, during the present study, we found Ochrilidia gracilis in Sindh and O. beybienkoi in Balochistan. The following species are restricted to Balochistan: Dociostaurus (Dociostaurus) maroccanus , with a known range in Iran and surrounding areas; D. (Kazakia) tartarus , Notostaurus albicornis ; Mesopsis iranicus ; and Stenohippus xanthus the first species was reported from Hazarganji Chiltan National Park (Mastung), a protective area in Balochistan. Additionally, Chorthippus (Chorthippus) dorsatus , C. angulatus and Leva hemiptera are restricted to Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit–Baltistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab, respectively. However, the presence of two described holotypes, Aulacobothrus punjabensis and Ochrilidia ahmadi , cannot be confirmed in current surveys. Gelastorhinus semipictus has been reported from Shangla, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Past records indicate a wide distribution in India ( Kirby 1910, Uvarov 1929, Sandrasagara 1949), but it has not been reported in other major explored zones of Pakistan. Mesopsis iranicus is a Palearctic species spread throughout Iran, including Mand and its adjacent areas. In the present study, we report it from Gwadar, and our findings suggest that if Turbat were to be explored, its numbers could likely increase. Some species of Ochrilidia are very specific to certain regions, such as O. beybienkoi . This arid mountainous species has been reported from Panjgur and Kech in Balochistan. It is rarely recorded in this region, and our understanding suggests that its numbers could increase if Qalat and Chaman were explored. Ochrilidia jagoi was reported by Wagan and Baloch from Multan and Rawalpindi in 1996. The species is solely documented through a type series of three specimens and has not been collected during our expeditions.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Distribution of Gomphocerinae in various ecological zones of Pakistan