Studies on the Immature stages of Aiolopus thalassinus thalassinus (Fabricius) (Oedipodinae: Acrididae: Orthoptera)

Abstract

Aiolopus are graminivorous and considered important pest of various crops i.e. maize , millet, sorghum, wheat, berseem, alfalfa, vegetables and grasses. A. thalassinus thalassinus among the dominant member of this genus and have polyvoltine breeding cycle throughout the year. Present study focus on nymphal stages of this notorious pest from various districts of Sindh. It was observed that there are six instars instead of five nymphal instars which were reported by earlier workers i.e. Chesler (1938) and Baloch (1978). Beside this total number of instars, sex ratio and different color phases were also studied. Detail morphological description of various instars provide the easily identification for separation of different stages of Aiolopus.