Seasonal occurrence of life stages of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) in the Southern Pampas, Argentina.

MARIOTTINI YANINA,; DE WYSIECKI MARIA LAURA; LANGE CARLOS

ZOOLOGICAL STUDIES

ACAD SINICA INST ZOOLOGY

Año: 2011 vol. 50 p. 737 - 744

1021-5506

The seasonal occurrence of life stages of grasshopper species of the Southern Pampas was studied through sampling of representative habitats for 5 seasons (Nov. 2005 through Jan. 2010) in Laprida County, Buenos Aires Province. Twenty-two species were collected, 11 of which were very abundant. Ten species had 1 generation per year (univoltine), of which 9 (Aleuas lineatus, Borellia bruneri, B. pallida, Covasacris pallidinota, Dichroplus conspersus, D. elongatus, D. maculipennis, D. pratensis, and Scotussa lemniscata) spent the winter in the egg stage, with younger nymphs (instars I, II, and III) occurring from mid-spring (Oct.-Nov.). The period of maximum abundance of nymphs was from Nov. to mid-Dec. From Jan., most species had a higher proportion of adults, which was the dominant state by mid-autumn (Mar.-Apr.). Only 1 species (Sinipta dalmani) spent the winter as a nymph. Baeacris pseudopunctulactus was the only species with more than 1 generation per year.