Swarm flight behaviour of Rhammatocerus schistocercoides (Rehn, 1906) in Mato Grosso, Brazil (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae)

Lecoq Michel, Pierozzi I.. 1996. Swarm flight behaviour of Rhammatocerus schistocercoides (Rehn, 1906) in Mato Grosso, Brazil (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae). In : XX International Congress of Entomology. Proceedings = [Actes du XX congrès international d'entomologie]. Anon. s.l. : s.n., 1-2. International Congress of Entomology. 20, Florence, Italie, 25 Août 1996/31 Août 1996.

Autre titre : Comportement de vol des essaims de Rhammatocerus schistocercoides (Rehn, 1906) dans le Mato Grosso, Brésil (Orthoptera, Acrididae, Gomphocerinae)

Résumé : A study of swarm flight behaviour in #Rhammatocerus schistocercoides# (Rehn, 1906), pest grasshopper of Mato Grosso State (Brazil), revealed a limited dispersal potential, in contrast to prior theories on their migration habits. The grasshoppers were monitored throughout the imaginal stage. In September, when their flight behaviour is maximal, several swarms were studied from morning to evening, with their behaviour noted at 1-min intervals. On average, their daily movements did not exceed a few hundred metres, even under optimal thermal conditions. The longest distance covered in one day was 2.8 km. Swarms showed standard rolling-type flight behaviour, and many grasshoppers remained at roost as others took flight. The swarms flew at quite low altitudes, not higher than 5-10 m. Flight directions were mainly determined by the direction of prevailing winds. These corresponded to local migrations that enabled the swarms to fully explore their environment (savanna regions with shrubs and trees) during the dry season when conditions are generally unfavourable. A predominant theory over the last 10 years holds that these grasshoppers regularly migrate eastwards; this now seems quite unlikely. Since the species is much less mobile than previously supposed, a preventive control strategy aimed at detecting and destroying hopper bands during the rainy season could be possible. Control operations conducted jointly with producers' groups should significantly reduce the grasshoppers populations.

Mots-clés Agrovoc : Orthoptera, Rhammatocerus, essaimage, vol, comportement

Mots-clés géographiques Agrovoc : Brésil, Mato Grosso

Classification Agris : L20 - Écologie animale
H10 - Ravageurs des plantes

Auteurs et affiliations

• Lecoq Michel, CIRAD-GERDAT-PRIFAS (FRA)
• Pierozzi I.

Source : Cirad - Agritrop (https://agritrop.cirad.fr/389778/)

Métriques

[ Page générée et mise en cache le 2024-04-15 ]