- International Journal of Pure and Applied Zoology (2015) Volume 3, Issue 4

Study on Diversity of Orthoptera Fauna in South Gujarat, India

Orthoptera is one of the largest orders of grassland insects. The Orthopterans are distributed through the physiographic zones of the world but their distribution largely depends upon the vegetation like grasslands, forests and agricultural fields. Orthoptera have a significant importance in the economy of grassland ecosystems, being important primary herbivores (especially grasshoppers) and contributing to the diet of many other animals (birds, spiders, reptiles, etc.) (Gangwere et al., 1997). They play a central role in food webs, as they are mostly primary herbivores and constitute an abundant food resource for the other groups such as lizards and raptors birds (Parr and Chown, 2003) Natural ecosystems of Gujarat range from wetlands, grasslands, agricultural areas, deciduous forests and deserts. Orthoptera are known to be a major component in grassland biodiversity (Weiss et al., 2013; Weyer et al., 2012) as well as in agricultural lands (Luoto et al., 2000).

Author(s): Bhumi Thakkar, Suzen Parmar and Pragna Parikh

Abstract PDF