First report of a catantopid grasshopper from eastern Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

Grasshoppers are one of the major fauna of Orthopteroid-group of insects which cause damage to the field crops, forest trees and horticultural plants. They are dominant fauna in the tropical and subtropical ecosystem. The present study was based on the specimens of Catantopidae during the course of a survey of district Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh. One male specimen was collected from white LED bulb and identified as a species Choroedocus illustris (Walker, 1870) (Orthoptera: Acridoidea: Catantopidae), was newly recorded from here. The description was based on both conventional morphological and genitalic characters. The identifying features of the species were tegmina with small scattered brownish spot except costal and anal area; fastidium of vertex distinctly depressed, obtusely and roundly angulate in frons; pronotum with lateral carina distant only up to end of prozona and subgenital plate was conical and curved upward. Hind tibia and tarsi were purplish blue with black tipped spine on tibia. Distribution, morphometric and measurement data are also provided.