PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON THE OCCURRENCE OF ORTHOPTERA FROM DISTRICT JAMSHORO

Abstract

A survey of Orthoptera occurring in the district Jamshoro was carried out during the months of May to November 2012. The study sites included agricultural lands, semi mountainous areas with various vegetation types i.e. crops, grasses, herbs and shrubs. A total of 183 specimens of grasshopper were collected and sorted out into 5 species. Of these 2 species viz: Locusta migratoria (Linnaeus, 1758) and Oedaleus senegalensis (Krauss, 1877) belonged to oedipodinae, Truxalis eximia eximia Eichwald, 1830 to Acridinae, Oxya velox (Fabricius, 1787) to Oxyinae and Poekilocerus pictus (Fabricius, 1775) of Pyromorphinae. The distribution of many of the previously recorded species has been extended. In addition to this, a simplified taxonomic key based on easily recognizable morphological characters is also presented.