Autotomy-induced life history plasticity in band-legged ground cricket Dianemobius nigrofasciatus

Crickets can autotomize their limbs when attacked by predators. This enables them to escape death, but imposes a short-term cost on their escape speed and a long-term cost on their future mating ability. Therefore, adaptive response compensated for the cost of autotomy might be advantageous for autotomized individuals. In the present study, we examined whether autotomy induced life history plasticities compensating for the future cost in the band-legged ground cricket Dianemobius nigrofasciatus . Life history traits of D. nigrofasciatus were compared between autotomized and intact individuals. The developmental time and head width of the individuals that were autotomized as fourth instar nymphs were significantly shorter and smaller, respectively, than those of intact individuals. However, the adult longevity, number of eggs laid and oviposition schedule did not vary between autotomized and intact individuals. In addition, there was no difference between individuals autotomized at the fourth instar and adult stages in these three traits. Early maturation in the autotomized individuals might be advantageous through reducing the risk of predation owing to the shorter period in nymphal stages. The cost of small body size in the autotomized females might not be so great because of no significant difference in fecundity between autotomized and intact individuals. However, the cost of small body size was unclear in the autotomized males because in general larger males were preferred by females. These results indicated autotomy-induced life history that might reduce the cost of autotomy.     

Oviposition on host plants by a tropical forest grasshopper (Microtylopteryx hebardi: Acrididae)

Abstract. 1. The tropical forest grasshopper Microtylopteryx hebardi Rehn (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Ommatolampinae) oviposits inside leaves or stems of its host plants. This is the first known instance of oviposition inside living plant tissue (rather than in the ground, on top of leaves, or in detritus) for a tropical forest acridid.
2. In understorey secondary forest at La Selva, Costa Rica, M.hebardi females fed on fifteen species of host plants, but oviposited in only four of these.
3. In laboratory choice tests, females showed selectivity for oviposition host plants similar to that inferred from field observations.
4. Plant volume was a better predictor of the number of eggs laid per stem than variables that indicated leaf or stem characteristics of individual plants.
5. Unlike the ovipositor of acridids laying eggs in the ground, that of M.hebardi is equipped with toothed, sclerotized edges, probably used to bore into plant tissue.
6. Endophytic oviposition in M.hebardi may be related to finding host plants in a habitat that is complex, heterogeneous, and rich in plant species.     

Measuring sexual selection on females in sex‐role‐reversed Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex,Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)

Although many studies examine the form of sexual selection in males, studies characterizing this selection in females remain sparse. Sexual selection on females is predicted for sex‐role‐reversed Mormon crickets, Anabrus simplex, where males are choosy of mates and nutrient‐deprived females compete for matings and nutritious nuptial gifts. We used selection analyses to describe the strength and form of sexual selection on female morphology. There was no positive linear sexual selection on the female body size traits predicted to be associated with male preferences and female competition. Instead, we detected selection for decreasing head width and mandible length, with stabilizing selection as the dominant form of nonlinear selection. Additionally, we tested the validity of a commonly used instantaneous measure of mating success by comparing selection results with those determined using cumulative mating rate. The two fitness measures yielded similar patterns of selection, supporting the common sampling method comparing mated and unmated fractions.     

黑龙江省雏蝗属二新种记述（直翅目：网翅蝗科）

记述采自黑龙江省大小兴安岭地区雏蝗属2新种,即乌裕尔河雏蝗Chorthippus wuyuerhensis,sp.nov.,拟曲脉雏蝗Chorthippus flexivenoides,sp.nov.。模式标本保存于陕西师范大学动物研究所昆虫标本室。     

中国疾蟋螽属二新种记述(直翅目:沙螽科:蟋螽亚科)

记述了中国疾蟋螽属2新种,即指突疾蟋螽Apotrechus digitatus Liu et Bi,sp.nov.和近似疾蟋螽Apotrechus fallax Liu et Bi,sp.nov.。模式标本保存在中国科学院上海昆虫博物馆。     

An improved breeding method for solitarious locusts

In order to unravel the physiological, endocrine, and behavioral differences between gregarious and solitarious forms of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria (Forsk.) (Orthoptera, Acrididae), a constant supply of rather large numbers of solitary individuals has to be guaranteed. This represents a bottleneck, mainly because of the intensity of the labor involved and limited laboratory accommodation. The method we describe here substantially reduces the space and manpower needed. The survival rate we obtained in the solitarised population was relatively high, reaching about 55%. The optimal rearing temperature proved to be 32–36 °C. Cabbage leaves and oat flakes sufficed for feeding all year round. Special racks have been designed that enable high density stacking and easy handling. The solitarisation process was monitored over ten consecutive generations. Changes in morphometrics, eye stripes, color, and behavior were recorded, of which only morphometrics, temperature related development, and mortality are discussed. A shift towards the solitarious phase was recorded, with clear differences between gregarious, 1^st generation and 7^th to 10^th generation solitarious locusts.     

云南东部蚱属一新种记述（直翅目：蚱总科：蚱科）

记述采自云南东部地区蚱属1新种，即南盘江蚱Tetrix nanpanfiangensis,sp．nov．。该新种近似于桂北蚱Tetrix guibeiensis Zheng，Lu and Li，2000，主要区别为本新种：1）侧观头顶与颜面隆起成直角形；2）颜面隆起在侧单眼处略凹陷；3）前胸背板前缘平直：4）侧观背板上缘肩前弧形，其后平直；5）肩部不具1对短纵隆线；6）第1跗节下之第3垫大于第1、2垫。新种与丁氏蚱Tetrix tinkhami Zheng et Liang，1998也近似，但新种后翅不到达后突的顶端，中足股节宽度明显狭于前翅宽。 正模：♂，云南陆良县，25．1°N，103．8°E，2000m，2006-Ⅷ-10，邓维安采；副模：3♂♂，9♀♀，同正模；3♂♂，3♀♀，云南沾益县，25．6°N，103．8°E，2000m，2006-Ⅷ-12，邓维安采：4♂♂，4♀♀，云南宣威市，26．2°N，104．1°E，2000m，2006-Ⅷ-14，邓维安采。 模式标本保存在陕西师范大学动物研究所标本室（7♂♂10♀♀）和河池学院动物标本室（3♂♂7♀♀）。     

Puddling: from natural history to understanding how it affects fitness

The term ‘puddling’ includes feeding on (dried) mud and various excrements and secretions of vertebrates, and carrion. It is thought to be a form of supplementary feeding, not targeted at obtaining energy. Although the natural history of the puddling phenomenon in herbivorous arthropods becomes better known, it is still largely unclear how puddling (in particular for sodium) affects fitness despite the growing knowledge of insect physiology at the cellular level. If we follow the definition used for puddling in Lepidoptera, representatives of a wide range of herbivorous and detrivorous terrestrial arthropods (Lepidoptera, Orthoptera, Blattodea, Hymenoptera, Hemiptera, Diptera, and Diplopoda) have been observed to puddle. It appears that those species with diets low in sodium (e.g., folivorous larvae) puddle for sodium whereas those with diets low in nitrogen (e.g., detritivores) puddle for nitrogen. Sex differentials in puddling behavior can usually be explained by transfers of nutrients from males to females during mating. Puddling is rare or absent in immature stages and there is some evidence that nutrients from puddles increase female reproductive success. Strong evidence for the widely cited hypothesis that sodium from puddles is used to enhance neuromuscular activity is still lacking. High mobility and long life spans could be associated with puddling behavior, whereas insects that are concealed or well defended are less likely to puddle (e.g., beetles). The role that risks of pathogen and parasite infection as well as predation at puddling substrates may play in the evolution of puddling remains virtually unexplored.     

Direct and indirect genetic effects on reproductive investment in a grasshopper

A fundamental part of the quantitative genetic theory deals with the partitioning of the phenotypic variance into additive genetic and environmental components. During interaction with conspecifics, the interaction partner becomes a part of the environment from the perspective of the focal individual. If the interaction effects have a genetic basis, they are called indirect genetic effects (IGEs) and can evolve along with direct genetic effects. Sexual reproduction is a classic context where potential conflict between males and females can arise from trade‐offs between current and future investments. We studied five female fecundity traits, egg length and number, egg pod length and number and latency to first egg pod, and estimated the direct and IGEs using a half‐sib breeding design in the grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus. We found that the male IGEs were an order of magnitude lower than the direct genetic effects and were not significantly different from zero. However, there was some indication that IGEs were larger shortly after mating, consistent with the idea that IGEs fade with time after interaction. Female direct heritabilities were moderate to low. Simulation shows that the variance component estimates can appear larger with less data, calling for care when interpreting variance components estimated with low power. Our results illustrate that the contribution of male IGEs is overall low on the phenotypic variance of female fecundity traits. Thus, even in the relevant context of sexual conflict, the influence of male IGEs on the evolutionary trajectory of female reproductive traits is likely to be small.     

Two new species of the genus Eotmethis from China (Orthoptera: Acridioidea: Pamphagidae)

Two new species of the genus Eotmethis Bey-Bienko, 1948 are described in this paper, namely E. daqingshanensis sp. nov. and E. gansuensis sp. nov. from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Gansu Province, respectively. The type specimens of the new species are deposited in College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China.