A preliminary survey of short-horned grasshoppers (Orthoptera, Acrididae) of Peppara Wildlife sanctuary in Western Ghats, Kerala, India

Abstract

A preliminary survey on diversity of short-horned grasshoppers was conducted in Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary across two seasons and documented a baseline data on the grasshopper fauna of the sanctuary. Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary, an ecologically significant region characterized by diverse vegetation types and climatic conditions support rich faunal diversity. A total of 20 species belonging to 8 subfamilies were revealed during the survey, highlighting the sanctuary’s notable species richness. Of the 20 species, Dittopternis venusta (Walker, 1870) and Phlaeoba antennata antennata Brunner von Wattenwyl, 1893were found to be the most common species and Oedipodinae was the most dominant subfamily. A systematic checklist of the recorded diversity of short-horned grasshoppers is prepared.