The Caelifera commonly referred to as grasshoppers, grouse locusts or pygmy grasshoppers, and pygmy mole crickets are characterized by having antennae shorter than the body, short ovipositors, and tympana on the thorax. The Order Orthoptera is divided into two extant suborders, Caelifera and Ensifera. orthopterans have mandibulate mouthparts and single segmented cerci. If winged, the forewings are coriaceous and cover the hind wings and abdomen when at rest and spread out in front of the hind wings when in flight. Insects in the order Orthoptera are characterized by having long hind legs modified for jumping. Table 1 is a comprehensive listing of the ailments caused by members of the Orthoptera. In addition, orthopterans may cause harm by serving as intermediate hosts for nematodes and several species of tapeworms and as possible reservoirs and vectors of vesicular stomatitis virus (Nunamaker et al. Handling of individual orthoptearns can result in bites and exposure to noxious defensive chemicals, and large populations of grasshoppers may also indirectly lead to an increase in blister beetle (Meloidae) populations and swarms of locusts can be responsible for allergic reactions and aggravation of asthma, as well as mechanical transmission of disease agents like cholera (Showler 1996). Most medical harm caused by the Orthoptera is a consequence of direct contact with the insects. While generally not medically important like some other arthropod groups, members of the order Orthoptera are not entirely innocuous. In Africa, Asia, and North America, swarms of grasshoppers, called locusts, cause widespread devastation to crops, often resulting in severe economic losses. Indeed, many members of the group are considered serious pests of row and forage crops, and often are in direct competition with vertebrate grazers. Often abundant in most terrestrial habitats, members of the Orthoptera are considered one of the most important groups of phytophagous insects. Grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids are not usually thought of as potentially hazardous or disease carrying insects.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |