Acridinae, MacLeay, 1821

Sultana, Riffat & Song, Hojun, 2024, Annotated catalogue of Pakistani Acrididae (Orthoptera: Caelifera: Acridoidea), Zootaxa 5486 (1), pp. 1-47 : 19

Acridinae

( Fig.1 )

Geographical Distribution: Pakistan (Ahmad 1958, 1980; Moeed 1971; Wagan 1990; Malik 1993; Suhail 1999; Soomro & Wagan 2005; Wagan & Sultana 2013; Sultana & Wagan 2015)

Comments

In Pakistan, the subfamily is represented by a few tribes ( Acridini , Truxalini , and Phlaeobini ), which are widely distributed throughout the country ( Moeed 1966, Wagan 1990, Yousuf 1996, Suhail et al. 1999), occurring along roadsides, in agricultural crops, and near water channels. The species of Duroniella are found in cultivated fields among thick grasses in dry meadows, damp areas, and near roadsides, exhibiting significant color dimorphism. Some specimens display double bands on the head and pronotum, while others have a single band. Variations were also recorded in the lateral carinae of the pronotum. However, a thorough revision of the genus Duroniella is essential for a more comprehensive understanding. Acrida exaltata was the most dominant species of the Acridinae in terms of the number of individuals, constituting 26.05% of the total individuals, followed by Truxalis eximia at 18.48% and Phlaeoba infumata at 16.80%. Azem & Reshi (2010) documented two subtribes, Acridina and Phlaeobina, in Kashmir, India. To the best of our knowledge, Gilgit Baltistan remained unexplored until now. However, during the present expedition, P. rotundata and D. laticornis , as well as T. nasuta , were recorded in Gilgit Baltistan. We believe this marks the first report of Acridinae for Gilgit-Baltistan. Green-brown polymorphism is peculiar to Acrida . Roonwal (1970) observed the occurrence or absence of green-brown polymorphism in A. exaltata .

Figures

FIGURE 1. Distribution of Acridinae in various ecological zones of Pakistan