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Bioscience Research
Print ISSN: 1811-9506 Online ISSN: 2218-3973
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RESEARCH ARTICLE BIOSCIENCE RESEARCH, 2021 18(1): 515-520. OPEN ACCESS

Exploring the Diversity of Grasshopper (Orthoptera)

fauna of Mardan region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Kausar Saeed1, Fawad Ali1, Muhammad Islam2, Muhammad Anwar Saleem Khan3
Shabir Ahmad4, Sardar Azahar Mehmmod4, Burhan Uddin5, Abdul Aziz1, Naveed
Jhamat6, Anwar Sultana1, Israr Alam1 and Muzafar Shah7*
1Department of Zoology University of Buner, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan
2Department of Genetics, Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan
3Department of Zoology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University Sheringal Wari Campus, Dir Upper, Pakistan
4Department of Zoology, Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan
5Department of Zoology, University of Swabi, Swabi, Pakistan
6Department of Information Technology, University of The Punjab, Gujranwala Campus, Punjab, Pakistan
*7Centre for Animal Sciences & Fisheries, University of Swat, Charbagh, Pakistan

*Correspondence: muzafar@uswat.edu.pk Received 19-01-2021, Revised: 10-03-2021, Accepted: 11-03-2021 e-Published: 12-
03-2021
The current study was conducted from August 2016 to august 2017 on the diversity of grasshopper
fauna of Mardan region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. During the study 17 different species belonging to 17
genera 4 families, 1 order (Orthoptra). The reported species are, Chorthippus albomarginatus,
Chrysochraon brachypterus, Bermius sp, Chortophagga viridifaciata, Chrysochraon dispar, Leptysma
marginicollis, Phlaeoba infumata, Pseudopomala brachyptera, Chorthippus brunneus, Arphia simplex,
Chorthippus parallelus, Omocestus viridulus, Poekilocerus pictus, Atractomorpha similis, Paratettix
cucullatus, Paratettix aztecus, Tettigoniida scudderia. During the study the family Acrididae was the
most common family of the collection points at both planed and hilly areas, Contain 12 species out of 17
reported species, while the family Tettigoniidae was the rarest family of the area which only contains 1
species out of 17 reported species.
Keywords: Grasshopper, Mardan Region, Identification

INTRODUCTION and under certain environmental conditions, some

Grasshoppers are insects of the order
Orthoptera, and having suborder Caelifera and
Ensifera. They are sometimes referred to as
short-horned grasshoppers (Caelifera), to
distinguish them from the katydids which have
much longer antennae (Ensifera).Among the
Caelifera the family Tetrigidae contains more than
1700 species in over 250 genera (Heads et al.,
2014). They are hemimetabolous insects. The life
cycle is completed with three stages viz. egg,
nymph and adult. Nymph moulted five times,
becoming more similar to the adult insect at each
developmental stage. At high population densities
grasshopper species can change color and
behavior and form swarms. Under these
circumstances they are known as locusts.
Grasshoppers are plant-eaters, sometimes
becoming serious pests of cereals, vegetables
and pasture, especially when they swarm in their
millions as locusts and destroy crops over wide
areas. Hence they are included in Oligophagous
and mixed feeders (More and Nikam, 2016). The
number of known species of Orthoptra from
around the world is about 20,000 out of which only
1,750 species (nearly 8.75%) are known from
India and over 600 species exist in the United
Saeed et al. Exploring the Diversity of Grasshopper (Orthoptera) fauna in Mardan region
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
States and Canada (Waghmare et al., 2013; Kirk
and Bomar, 2005)
Grasshoppers is one of the largest diverse
groups of insects. They are functionally important
being the dominant aboveground invertebrates in
pastures and natural grasslands, when judged by
biomass. Family Acrididae includes all locusts;
they have tremendous power of migration. Acridid
grasshoppers are primary consumer, they
regulate several food chains also, play important
role in nutrient recycling in forest ecosystem
(Bhusnar, 2015). Grasshoppers are of great
economic importance, because they constitute an
important group of pests and pose a constant
threat to cereal crops, pulses, vegetables,
orchards, and grassland and forest plantations all
over the world (Akhtar et al., 2012). Some
grasshopper activity such as feeding on weeds
and seed seeds is actually beneficial example
Hesperotettix Viridis, which feed exclusively on
snakweed. This activity is important in trash
burning which purify the environment (Oku et al.,
2011). Orthoptra have a significant importance in
the economy of grassland ecosystems, being
important primary herbivores (especially
grasshoppers) and contributing to the diet of many
other animals (birds, spiders, reptiles, etc.) (Bhumi
et al., 2015). Some grasshoppers are proposed as
ecological indicators of ecosystem qualities and
efficacy of ecological networks (Alexandre et al.
2011). Biological control of locusts and
grasshoppers is at a critical stage. At a time of
increasing constraints on insecticide use, we have
a biocontrol agent (Metarhizium) that has been
developed through the LUBILOSA project with
significant contributions from other workers in
many parts of the world. Provisional registrations
of Metarhizium products have been obtained in
Australia, South Africa and the Sahelian countries
(CILSS), and the product appears on the list of
FAO approved agents for locust control.
Operational use has had a start, including
Australia where more than 23,000 ha of locust
bands and swarms were treated during the 2000-
2001 locust season. But to facilitate the
expansion of operational use of biologicals,
information on the most recent developments
needs to be exchanged amongst researchers and
to potential users. This newsletter aims to can
provide a forum for the dissemination of
information not only on Metarhizium but other
biological, including conservation biocontrol that
have potential for locust control so that biological
can become an increasingly important part of the
integrated pest management of locusts and
Bioscience Research, 2021 volume 18(1): 515-520
grasshoppers (Hunter and Lomer, 1999).
Grasshoppers and locusts lay their eggs in egg
pods; these are buried in the soil in more- or-less
well-defined localities. Because each female may
lay only between one and four pods, it is often
suggested that locating, digging up, and
destroying egg pods might be a viable control
option Some attempts have been successful, but
in the absence of incentives we find that farmers
seldom prioritize egg pod destruction over other
agricultural, economic, and social activities.
Various natural enemies attack locust egg pods
meloid beetles and the larvae of bombylid flies are
effective predators, and Hymenopterous
parasitoids are also important. Because of their
long historical use as successful biological control
agents, the hymenopterans egg parasitoids offer
the best prospects (Lomer et al., 2001).
Grasshoppers cause serious economic
damage to both crops and rangeland, although
the greatest concern has been with respect to
losses of livestock forage in the latter system.
Grasshoppers annually consume >20% of
rangeland forages in the western United States at
an estimated loss of $400 million and during the
last major grasshopper outbreak, >8 million ha of
rangeland were treated with 5 million liters of
Malathion at a cost of $75 million (Lockwood, and
Lockwood, 2008). Numerous Study argue that
grass hopper densities are controlled by predators
,these claims are not are based on qualitative
observation with the exception of few
experimental study with avian predators ,However
Joren (1992) found that birds did not contently
reduce grasshopper densities across micro-
habitats with in year and between years
(Belovsky, and Slade, 1993). Chronically scared
grasshoppers made adjustments in jumping
technique that enabled them to take-off 1-2 times
faster, which, in combination with additional in-
flight behavioral adjustments, led to 2-6 times
longer jump distances. These improvements were
independent of conspicuous morphological
changes but were accompanied by attendant
costs: grasshoppers reared in risky environments
produced smaller and less athletic offspring than
grasshoppers from risk free environments
(Hawlena, et al., 2011).
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Area
District Mardan lies from 34° 05' to 34° 32'
north latitudes and 71" 48' to 72° 25' east
longitudes. It is bounded on the north by district
516
Saeed et al. Exploring the Diversity of Grasshopper (Orthoptera) fauna in Mardan region
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Buner and Malakand protected area, on the east
by Swabi and Buner district, on the south by
Nowshera district and on the west by Charsadda
and Malakand protected area. The total area of
the district is 1632 square kilometer.
(htpp://www.pakistan.web.pk/threads/mardan
Each tehsil contain both plane and hilly areas so
the species collected from both points (Figure 1).
Collection of samples
For the current study samples were collected
from different localities of Mardan region during
the active season of 2016 to 2017 by sweep net
method in the morning and evening time.
Collected specimens were transferred in bottles
contains cotton soaked with ethyl acetate covered
with paper and preserved by both dry and wet
preservation methods.
Identification
Identification was done with the help of
magnifying glass, stereoscope for morphological
characteristics by using latest literature.
RESULTS
The current study was conducted from August
2016 to august 2017 on the diversity of
grasshopper fauna of district Mardan KP,
Pakistan. During the study 17 different species
Bioscience Research, 2021 volume 18(1): 515-520
district.2211) The district is further divided into
four tehsils named Mardan, Katlang, Takht Bhaie
and Rustam while specimen collected from each
Tehsil.
belonging to 17 genera, 4 families and 1 order
(Orthoptra). The reported species are,
Chorthippus albomarginatus, Chrysochraon
brachypterus, Bermius sp, Chortophagga
viridifaciata, Chrysochraon dispar, Leptysma
marginicollis, Phlaeoba infumata, Pseudopomala
brachyptera, Chorthippus brunneus, Arphia
simplex, Chorthippus parallelus, Omocestus
viridulus, Poekilocerus pictus, Atractomorpha
similis, Paratettix cucullatus, Paratettix aztecus,
Tettigoniidae scudderia. The number of sample
collected from district Mardan. During the study
the family Acrididae was the most common family
of the collection points at both planed and hilly
areas, Contain 12 species out of 17 reported
species, while the family Tettigoniidae was the
rarest family of the area which only contains 1
species out of 17 reported species (Table 1;
Figure 2).
517
Saeed et al. Exploring the Diversity of Grasshopper (Orthoptera) fauna in Mardan region
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Table 1: Identified samples from order to species level collected from different localities of Mardan
Region, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

S.No Order Family Genus Species

1 Orthoptera Acrididae Chorthippus Albomarginatus
2 Orthoptera Acrididae Chrysochraon Brachypterus
3 Orthoptera Acrididae Bermius Sp
4 Orthoptera Acrididae Chortophagga viridifaciata
5 Orthoptera Acrididae Chrysochraon dispar
6 Orthoptera Acrididae Leptysma marginicollis
7 Orthoptera Acrididae Phlaeoba infumata
8 Orthoptera Acrididae Pseudopomala brachyptera
9 Orthoptera Acrididae Chorthippus brunneus
10 Orthoptera Acrididae Arphia simplex
11 Orthoptera Acrididae Chorthippus parallelus
12 Orthoptera Acrididae Omocestus viridulus
13 Orthoptera Pyrogomorphidae Poekilocerus pictus
14 Orthoptera Pyrogomorphidae Atractomorpha similis
15 Orthoptera Tetrigidae Paratettix cucullatus
16 Orthoptera Tetrigidae Paratettix aztecus
17 Orthoptera Tettigoniidae Tettigoniidae Scudderia

Bioscience Research, 2021 volume 18(1): 515-520 518

Saeed et al. Exploring the Diversity of Grasshopper (Orthoptera) fauna in Mardan region
of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
DISCUSSION
There were 17 species of grasshopper
collected from different localities and habitats of
District Mardan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
During the course of the study, 17 species of
grasshopper belonging to 17 genera, 4 families,
(Acrididae, Pyrogomorphidae, Tetrigidae, and
Tettigoniidae) .The current study show that the
selected study ponits have rich diversity of
grasshopper and its because of its complex
ecological condition ,verity flora, rain fall and
temperature. Shishodia et al. (2010) reported 285
species under 135 genera of Acrididae from India,
wherein 9 species under 4 genera of
Coptacridinae subfamily are included (Gupta and
Chandra, 2017). The present study reveals that
total 17 species of grasshoppers were reported
from district Mardan. The reported species
belonging to 17 genera and 4 families. Kirk and
Bomar Identified 70 species of Acrididae from
Wisconsin (Kirk and Bomar, 2005). Usmani et al.
(2010) have explored 33 species of locusts and
grasshoppers from Western Uttar Pradesh. 14
species from pulses and 26 species from Aligarh
Fort of Uttar Pradesh (Rafi et al., 2014).
Senthilkumar et al. (2006) reported 25 species of
Orthoptera belonging to 21 genera, 12 sub
families and four families in Gibbon Wildlife
Sanctuary. Koli et al. (2010) reported 62 species
of Orthoptera 8 families viz Acrididae,
Tettigoniidae, Gryllidae, Tetrigidae, Oecanthidae,
Trigonidiidae, Pyrgomorphidae and Gryllotalpidae.
Hussain et al. (2017) reported 18 species of
grasshopper representing 14 Genera, 8
subfamilies and 3 families from Punjab, Sialkot
Pakistan. Gul-e-Shadab et al. (2010) identified
fourteen species and five subspecies of the family
Acrididae under six subfamilies belonging to
twelve genera of Quetta division of Baluchistan
Pakistan. Akhtar et al. (2012). Recorded 26
species of grasshoppers representing 14 genera
belonging to 2 families, 8 sub families and 12
tribes from Uttar Pradesh state of India. Ansa et
al. (2011). Reported 25 species belonging to 2
families, Acrididae and Pyrogomorphidae, were
collected from three districts of Mirpur division.
Five species were present only in Mirpur, 4
species were present only in Bhimber, 3 species
were common only in Mirpur and Kotli 3 species
were common in Kotli and Bhimber, 2 species
were common in Mirpur and Bhimber while 9
species were common in 3 collection sites.
CONCLUSION
This work concludes that District Mardan is
Bioscience Research, 2021 volume 18(1): 515-520
dominated by insects. The large number of the
Orthopteran are found in this area. The results
which were being presented in this report might
be the first comprehensive list of insects in District
Mardan. Hopefully, there will be a further research
study on the insect biodiversity and taxonomy in
this area, in order to get better and
comprehensive information on these aspects to
be documented for future reference.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declared that present study was
performed in absence of any conflict of interest.
ACKNOWLEGEMENT
The authors are deeply grateful to the faculty
members Department of Zoology University of
Buner and facilities provided by Centre for Animal
Sciences & Fisheries, University of Swat.
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
KS, FA, MI, MASK designed and performleed the
experiments SA, SAM, BU and AA analyzed the
data, NJ, AS and IA wrote the manuscript. MS
reviewed and proof read the manuscript. All
authors read and approved the final version.
Copyrights: © 2021@ author (s).
This is an open access article distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License
(CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use,
distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original author(s) and source are
credited and that the original publication in this
journal is cited, in accordance with accepted
academic practice. No use, distribution or
reproduction is permitted which does not comply
with these terms.
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