A Review Work on How to Differentiate the Longhorn Grasshoppers Ruspolia differens and Ruspolia nitidula (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae)
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Date
2017-12-02
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Journal of Applied Life Sciences International
Abstract
The record of potential characters differentiating the longhorn grasshoppers Ruspolia differens
Serville, 1838 and Ruspolia nitidula Scopoli, 1786 in the family Tettigoniidae of the order Orthoptera
is somewhat unapparent, being randomly featured in the general literature of the individual species
without joint synchronization. The present work systematically re-examines and re-organises these
characters with a main goal to harmonizing the various records where the two species are
interchanged, misdiagnosed or incorrectly named, and sensitizing future workers to overcome the
oversights. The couple of insects are evidently sister species that are well distinguished from each
other by their respective species-specific biology and biogeography. R. differens inhabits the Sub-
Saharan African region; the species has a swarming phase and colour polymorphism with six
morphs, and a distinct sex dimorphism with males having longer antennae and a unique pair of
metathoracic flaps. On the other hand, R. nitidula is exclusively solitary, greenish and Palearctic
ranging in Asia, Europe and Northern Africa. Generally, each species is morphologically,
behaviourally, genetically and thus taxonomically distinct from its counterpart.
Description
The paper is a review article based on published secondary data..
Keywords
Longhorn grasshoppers; Orthoptera; Ruspolia differens; Ruspolia nitidula; Tettigoniidae.
Citation
15(2): 1-4, 2017; Article no.JALSI.37912