Short horned grasshopper

Table of content

Introduction of the Insect
Classification
Distribution and Status
Identification
Problems with Identical signs
Habit and Habitat
Life cycle (Bionomics)
Damage
Common signs and symptoms of infestation
Symptoms of damage
Why is it important?
Management
Cultural practices
Biological control
Chemical treatment
Restrictions
Genome sequences
Published research.
References

Introduction of the Insect

Oxya chinensis is a species of short-horned grasshopper in the family Acrididae. It is found in south and eastern Asia, and Oceania [1].

English name Short horned grasshopper

Bangla name [NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Scientific name Oxya chinensis

Classification

Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Orthoptera
Suborder: Caelifera
Family: Acrididae
Genus: Oxya
Species: O. chinensis

Binomial Name: Oxya chinensis (Thunberg, 1815)

Distribution and Status

South and eastern Asia, and Oceania.

Host Range
Gossypium (cotton), Oryza sativa (rice), Panicum miliaceum (millet), Phragmites australis (common reed), Sorghum bicolor (sorghum), Triticum (wheat), Zea mays (maize)

Identification

Egg: [NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Nymph: [NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Adult: O. chinensis adult; males are 18.3-27 mm long and females, 24.5-39.5 mm long.

Problems with Identical signs

[NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Habit and Habitat

Green grasshopper (Oxya chinensis) is probably one of the insects that are able to adapt to the urban environment. It could be that a small garden area is a favorite of them, since it is untouched by pesticides of any kind [3].

Life cycle (Bionomics)

The reproductive organ of the male locust is called aedeagus, whereas the female locust has an ovary as its fertilization. Male grasshoppers that have a smaller body size, will fertilize the female by way of being on top of her body. Furthermore the male locust will channel the spermatophore into the female’s ovipositor. Then the sperm enters the egg through micropyles (smooth channels). After that spermatozoa will be stored and processed in the ovary. In breeding, locusts include oviparous animals that breed by laying eggs [3].

Damage

In China, with recent changes in environmental conditions and reforms of farming systems, the area affected by O. chinensis is growing and the density of the pest is continually increasing, usually 50-100 per m² in an average rice field, and up to 200-300 per m² in a seriously infested field. It has been reported that O. chinensis can cause serious losses to crops, in particular to rice. In the rice field, 2-4 adults per m² can reduce output by 6.8-17.8%. In India, O. chinensis has been listed as among the five most important rice pests in the Sikkim Hills (Thakur, 1984) [2].

Common signs and symptoms of infestation

Plants/Leaves/external feeding

Symptoms of damage

O. chinensis feeds on tender rice leaves in the rice field, causing leaf damage, and sometimes also affects the stem and ear of rice [2].

Why is it important?

[NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Management

[NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Cultural practices

Ploughing rice fields in autumn and spring to a depth of 10-20 cm exposes the eggs on the surface of the field, to be destroyed by sunshine or eaten by natural enemies. By this means, some eggs may also be buried too deeply in the soil for hatching to take place. Ploughing can achieve 70-80% control.

If the back of the rice field is made airtight with mud before the soil is prepared for planting, to a height of about 5-10 cm, ca 30% control may be achieved.

Narrow mounds may be scrapped in spring, to a depth of about 2-3 cm. This cuts up the egg blocks and exposes eggs on the surface of the rice field to sunshine. Soaking the field in water, harrowing and dredging up egg blocks and weeds can also aid control.

Farmers may be mobilized into action to catch and kill the pests, which are seen feeding on rice leaves during the jointing and booting stages (fifth- and sixth-generation nymphs). A control threshold of three individuals/m² has been suggested (Anon., 1989). This can alleviate harm to the rice ear, and also reduce the population of the pest for the coming year. Adults may be ground to locust-powder and used as a kind of forage for fish and shrimp.

Biological control

There has been much interest in classical biological control as a tactic in the management of O. chinensis, particularly in Tangshan, China (Sun et al., 1991). The most frequently tried method of achieving biological control has been by augmentative releases of frogs and chickens [2].

Chemical treatment

[NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Restrictions

[NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Genome sequences

[NO INFORMATION AVAILABLE]

Published research

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acs.jafc.8b01376

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13237-016-0188-x

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147651318310716

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14786419.2017.1413566

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0045653517306240