Abstract:
The last country-level update on short-horned grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) of Pakistan was published in 2024 by Sultana & Song. Since then, the first author has conducted periodic field collections and photographic documentation, resulting in numerous new country-level records. Based on these collections and previously existing data, a total of 2,665 specimens were examined over the past decade from diverse climatic zones, including Sindh, Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Azad Jammu & Kashmir. The material was taxonomically sorted into major families, with Acrididae dominating (1,379; 51.74%), followed by Pyrgomorphidae (257; 9.64%), Tettigoniidae (146; 5.48%), Tetrigidae (122; 4.58%), Gryllidae (71; 2.66%), Tridactylidae (70; 2.63%), Schizodactylidae (37; 1.39%), and Trigonidiidae (34; 1.28%). Additionally, 167 specimens (6.27%) were identified only to the order level, 55 specimens (2.06%) belonged to seven other families, and 364 specimens (13.66%) remained unidentified at the family level. In parallel, online biodiversity platforms such as the Orthoptera Species File Online, BugGuide, and iNaturalist have emerged as valuable and generally reliable supplementary sources of distributional data. Building on these resources, a comprehensive account of Orthoptera diversity across Pakistan is presented here. Among Acrididae, the subfamily Oedipodinae was reported in considerable numbers from various and previously unrecorded habitats. Many species of this subfamily exhibit cryptic coloration, closely matching local soils, sands, or rocky substrates, and are typically associated with sparsely vegetated areas. Certain taxa show strong substrate specificity, occurring only on rocks, sand, or gravel, while others are most abundant in areas where lichens cover the ground surface. In addition, unexpected distributions of Tridactylidae, Schizodactylidae, and Trigonidiidae were also recorded from new localities. This study significantly expands the available distributional data and provides several new country-level records, thereby updating and enriching the national inventory of Orthoptera.
Page(s):
45-45
DOI:
DOI not available
Published:
Journal: 4th International Conference of Sciences “Revamped Scientific Outlook of 21st Century, 2025” , November 12,2025, Volume: 1, Issue: 1, Year: 2025