|
specification
|
m task, replaced: Lancet (London, England) → Lancet
|
||
| (5 intermediate revisions by 3 users not shown) | |||
| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
}} |
}} |
||
'''''Poekilocerus pictus''''', the '''painted grasshopper''', '''aak grasshopper''' or '''ak grasshopper''', is a fairly large and brightly coloured species of [[grasshopper]] found in [[India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Afghanistan]], especially in drier regions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1120904|title=species Poekilocerus pictus (Fabricius, 1775): Orthoptera Species File|website=orthoptera.speciesfile.org}}</ref><ref name=Sultana2015>{{cite journal| last=Sultana | first=R. | display-authors=etal | year=2015 | title=Studies on the importance of common Calotropis procera (Asclepiadaceae) and close association of Poekilocerus pictus (Fabricus, 1775) | journal=Pak. J. Entomol. | volume=30 | issue=2 | pages= |
'''''Poekilocerus pictus''''', the '''painted grasshopper''', '''aak grasshopper''' or '''ak grasshopper''', is a fairly large and brightly coloured species of [[grasshopper]] found in [[India]], [[Pakistan]] and [[Afghanistan]], especially in drier regions.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org/Common/basic/Taxa.aspx?TaxonNameID=1120904|title=species Poekilocerus pictus (Fabricius, 1775): Orthoptera Species File|website=orthoptera.speciesfile.org}}</ref><ref name=Sultana2015>{{cite journal| last=Sultana | first=R. | display-authors=etal | year=2015 | title=Studies on the importance of common Calotropis procera (Asclepiadaceae) and close association of Poekilocerus pictus (Fabricus, 1775) | journal=Pak. J. Entomol. | volume=30 | issue=2 | pages=161–164 | doi=10.26540/ijgsr.v9.i2.2022.219 }}</ref><ref name=Bhargava1995>{{cite journal| last=Bhargava | first=R.N. | year=1995 | title=Ecobiology of the ak grasshopper (Poekilocerus pictus Fab.) in Indian desert | journal=Rec. zool. Surv. India | volume=95 | issue=1-2 | pages=17–21 }}</ref> Both adults and [[Nymph (biology)|nymphs]] are toxic; the nymphs are notorious for being able to squirt a jet of noxious liquid at up to around {{cvt|30|cm|ft|0}} away when grasped.<ref name=Sawant2010/><ref name=hing/> |
||
''P. pictus'' was long regarded as the only ''[[Poekilocerus]]'' of the [[Indian subcontinent]] (other species are found in Southwest Asia and Africa), but in 2016 a new species, the overall yellowish-brown ''[[Poekilocerus geniplanus|P. geniplanus]]'', was described from [[Chhattisgarh]]. |
''P. pictus'' was long regarded as the only ''[[Poekilocerus]]'' of the [[Indian subcontinent]] (other species are found in Southwest Asia and Africa), but in 2016 a new species, the overall yellowish-brown ''[[Poekilocerus geniplanus|P. geniplanus]]'', was described from [[Chhattisgarh]].{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} |
||
==Description== |
==Description== |
||
| Line 20: | Line 20: | ||
[[File:Aak grasshopper mating.jpg|thumb|Mating pair]] |
[[File:Aak grasshopper mating.jpg|thumb|Mating pair]] |
||
Adults of ''P. pictus'' typically are {{cvt|4.3-6.1|cm}} long. |
Adults of ''P. pictus'' typically are {{cvt|4.3-6.1|cm}} long.{{citation needed|date=February 2024}} The nymphs are greenish-yellow with fine black markings and small crimson spots. The mature grasshopper has canary yellow and turquoise or blue stripes on its body, green [[tegmen|tegmina]] with yellow spots, and pale red hind wings.<ref name=Sawant2010>{{cite journal|last1=Sawant|first1=Madhavi|title=Study of juvenile and adult growth, and behavioural characteristics of Poecilocerus pictus (Fabricius) feeding on Calotropis gigantea under laboratory conditions|journal=Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society|date=May–Aug 2010|volume=107|issue=2|pages=122–129|url=http://www.bnhs.org/publications/journal-of-bnhs/248-jbnhs-vol-1072.html|access-date=25 July 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727173755/http://www.bnhs.org/publications/journal-of-bnhs/248-jbnhs-vol-1072.html|archivedate=27 July 2014}}</ref><ref name=hing/> |
||
==Feeding and toxicity== |
==Feeding and toxicity== |
||
Both adults and nymphs of ''P. pictus'' feed extensively on poisonous ''[[Calotropis]]'' milkweeds, notably ''[[Calotropis gigantea|C. gigantea]]'' and ''[[Calotropis procera|C. procera]]'', gaining their own toxins from the plants.<ref name=Sawant2010/><ref name=hing |
Both adults and nymphs of ''P. pictus'' feed extensively on poisonous ''[[Calotropis]]'' milkweeds, notably ''[[Calotropis gigantea|C. gigantea]]'' and ''[[Calotropis procera|C. procera]]'', gaining their own toxins from the plants.<ref name=Sawant2010/><ref name=hing/> When given the choice, both adults and nymphs tend to prefer ''C. procera'' over ''C. gigantea''.<ref name=Raziuddin1991/> However, both adults and nymphs of ''P. pictus'' may also feed on a wide range of other plants, including several that are important agricultural crops, and for this reason they are sometimes regarded as a serious [[Pest (organism)|pest]].<ref name=Sultana2015/><ref name=Sawant2010/><ref name=Raziuddin1991>{{cite journal| last=Raziuddin | first=M. | last2=Singh | first2=S.H. | last3=Sharma | first3=A. | last4=Singh | first4=B.K. | year=1991 | title=Feeding habits of Poekilocerus pictus Fabricius (Acridoidea: Pyrgomorphidae) | journal=Environment & Ecology | volume=9 | issue=1 | pages=100–102 }}</ref> When nymphs mainly feed on other plants than ''Calotropis'' milkweeds, their development is not as fast,<ref name=Sawant2010/> but the first couple of [[instar]]s tend to still prefer various weeds over ''Calotropis'' if given the choice.<ref name=Bhargava1995/> The common name aak grasshopper or ak grasshopper is based on the local name of the main food plants, ''Calotropis gigantea'' and ''C. procera''.<ref name=Bhargava1995/><ref name=hing/><ref name=Raziuddin1991/> If starving, [[cannibalism]] is a regular occurrence.<ref name=Raziuddin1991/> |
||
Upon slight pinching of the head or [[abdomen]], the nymphs ejects liquid in a sharp and sudden jet, with a range of up to around {{cvt|30|cm|ft|0}} or more, from a [[Dorsum (anatomy)|dorsal]] opening between the first and second abdominal [[segment (biology)|segment]]s.<ref name=Sawant2010/><ref name=hing/> The discharge is directed towards the pinched area and may be repeated several times. The liquid is pale and milky, slightly [[viscosity|viscous]] with an unpleasant smell and taste,<ref name=Sawant2010/><ref name=hing/> containing [[cardiac glycoside]]s that the insect obtains from the plant it feeds upon.<ref name=mathen>{{Cite journal | pmid = 20734917| year = 2010| last1 = Mathen| first1 = C| title = Cytotoxic compounds from Poecilocerus pictus feeding on Calotropis gigantea| journal = Journal of Experimental Therapeutics & Oncology| volume = 8| issue = 3| pages = 177–85| last2 = Hardikar| first2 = B }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.3390/molecules13123033| pmid = 19052526| title = A New Cytotoxic Pregnanone from Calotropis gigantea| journal = Molecules| volume = 13| issue = 12| pages = 3033–9| year = 2008| last1 = Wang | first1 = Z. N. | last2 = Wang | first2 = M. Y. | last3 = Mei | first3 = W. L. | last4 = Han | first4 = Z. | last5 = Dai | first5 = H. F. | pmc = 6244834| citeseerx = 10.1.1.361.9898 | doi-access = free}}</ref> In the adults, the discharge occurs under the tegmina and collects as viscous bubbly heap along the sides of the body, lacking the squirting effect seen in nymphs.<ref name=hing>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1927.tb00060.x| title = The Liquid-Squirting Habit of Oriental Grasshoppers| journal = Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London| volume = 75| pages = 65–68| year = 2009| last1 = Hingston | first1 = M. R. W. G. }}</ref> |
Upon slight pinching of the head or [[abdomen]], the nymphs ejects liquid in a sharp and sudden jet, with a range of up to around {{cvt|30|cm|ft|0}} or more, from a [[Dorsum (anatomy)|dorsal]] opening between the first and second abdominal [[segment (biology)|segment]]s.<ref name=Sawant2010/><ref name=hing/> The discharge is directed towards the pinched area and may be repeated several times. The liquid is pale and milky, slightly [[viscosity|viscous]] with an unpleasant smell and taste,<ref name=Sawant2010/><ref name=hing/> containing [[cardiac glycoside]]s that the insect obtains from the plant it feeds upon.<ref name=mathen>{{Cite journal | pmid = 20734917| year = 2010| last1 = Mathen| first1 = C| title = Cytotoxic compounds from Poecilocerus pictus feeding on Calotropis gigantea| journal = Journal of Experimental Therapeutics & Oncology| volume = 8| issue = 3| pages = 177–85| last2 = Hardikar| first2 = B }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.3390/molecules13123033| pmid = 19052526| title = A New Cytotoxic Pregnanone from Calotropis gigantea| journal = Molecules| volume = 13| issue = 12| pages = 3033–9| year = 2008| last1 = Wang | first1 = Z. N. | last2 = Wang | first2 = M. Y. | last3 = Mei | first3 = W. L. | last4 = Han | first4 = Z. | last5 = Dai | first5 = H. F. | pmc = 6244834| citeseerx = 10.1.1.361.9898 | doi-access = free}}</ref> In the adults, the discharge occurs under the tegmina and collects as viscous bubbly heap along the sides of the body, lacking the squirting effect seen in nymphs.<ref name=hing>{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1111/j.1365-2311.1927.tb00060.x| title = The Liquid-Squirting Habit of Oriental Grasshoppers| journal = Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London| volume = 75| pages = 65–68| year = 2009| last1 = Hingston | first1 = M. R. W. G. }}</ref> |
||
==Research== |
==Research== |
||
''P. pictus'' females produce a [[sex pheromone]] that is secreted from a thin sac-like gland in the [[metathorax|metathoracic segment]].<ref> |
''P. pictus'' females produce a [[sex pheromone]] that is secreted from a thin sac-like gland in the [[metathorax|metathoracic segment]].<ref>{{cite journal | pmid=53373 | date=1975 | last1=Hansman | first1=D. | title=Haemophilus influenzae type B resistant to tetracycline isolated from children with meningitis | journal=Lancet | volume=2 | issue=7941 | pages=893–896 | doi=10.1016/s0140-6736(75)92128-5 | s2cid=28488224 }}</ref> |
||
''P. pictus'' has an inducible [[chromosome|chromosomal]] repair mechanism that acts in [[meiosis|meiotic]] cells.<ref>Mahmood R |
''P. pictus'' has an inducible [[chromosome|chromosomal]] repair mechanism that acts in [[meiosis|meiotic]] cells.<ref>{{cite journal | pmid=1383796 | date=1992 | last1=Mahmood | first1=R. | last2=Vasudev | first2=V. | title=Inducible protective processes in animal systems. III. Adaptive response of meiotic cells of the grasshopper, Poecilocerus pictus, to a low dose of ethyl methanesulfonate | journal=Mutation Research | volume=283 | issue=4 | pages=243–247 | doi=10.1016/0165-7992(92)90055-m }}</ref> |
||
==References== |
==References== |
||
| Painted Grasshopper | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Caelifera |
| Family: | Pyrgomorphidae |
| Subfamily: | Pyrgomorphinae |
| Tribe: | Poekilocerini |
| Genus: | Poekilocerus |
| Species: |
P. pictus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Poekilocerus pictus (Fabricius, 1775) | |
| Synonyms | |
| |
Poekilocerus pictus, the painted grasshopper, aak grasshopperorak grasshopper, is a fairly large and brightly coloured species of grasshopper found in India, Pakistan and Afghanistan, especially in drier regions.[1][2][3] Both adults and nymphs are toxic; the nymphs are notorious for being able to squirt a jet of noxious liquid at up to around 30 cm (1 ft) away when grasped.[4][5]
P. pictus was long regarded as the only Poekilocerus of the Indian subcontinent (other species are found in Southwest Asia and Africa), but in 2016 a new species, the overall yellowish-brown P. geniplanus, was described from Chhattisgarh.[citation needed]
Adults of P. pictus typically are 4.3–6.1 cm (1.7–2.4 in) long.[citation needed] The nymphs are greenish-yellow with fine black markings and small crimson spots. The mature grasshopper has canary yellow and turquoise or blue stripes on its body, green tegmina with yellow spots, and pale red hind wings.[4][5]
Both adults and nymphs of P. pictus feed extensively on poisonous Calotropis milkweeds, notably C. gigantea and C. procera, gaining their own toxins from the plants.[4][5] When given the choice, both adults and nymphs tend to prefer C. procera over C. gigantea.[6] However, both adults and nymphs of P. pictus may also feed on a wide range of other plants, including several that are important agricultural crops, and for this reason they are sometimes regarded as a serious pest.[2][4][6] When nymphs mainly feed on other plants than Calotropis milkweeds, their development is not as fast,[4] but the first couple of instars tend to still prefer various weeds over Calotropis if given the choice.[3] The common name aak grasshopper or ak grasshopper is based on the local name of the main food plants, Calotropis gigantea and C. procera.[3][5][6] If starving, cannibalism is a regular occurrence.[6]
Upon slight pinching of the head or abdomen, the nymphs ejects liquid in a sharp and sudden jet, with a range of up to around 30 cm (1 ft) or more, from a dorsal opening between the first and second abdominal segments.[4][5] The discharge is directed towards the pinched area and may be repeated several times. The liquid is pale and milky, slightly viscous with an unpleasant smell and taste,[4][5] containing cardiac glycosides that the insect obtains from the plant it feeds upon.[7][8] In the adults, the discharge occurs under the tegmina and collects as viscous bubbly heap along the sides of the body, lacking the squirting effect seen in nymphs.[5]
P. pictus females produce a sex pheromone that is secreted from a thin sac-like gland in the metathoracic segment.[9]
P. pictus has an inducible chromosomal repair mechanism that acts in meiotic cells.[10]
| Poekilocerus pictus |
|
|---|---|
