Life history and population dynamics of Baeacris punctulatus (Thunberg, 1824) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil

摘要

We reared Baeacris punctulatus (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in cages under seminatural conditions in Cuiaba, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Five nymphal instars were recorded. One generation required～82 d (24 d egg stage + 43 d nymphal development + 15 d preoviposition period). Colony females laid～ 4.4 egg pods during their ～30-d adult life. Pods contained～ 13 eggs, and most eggs hatched, giving ～56 offspring per female. Survival during the nymphal stage was 38.9%, with highest mortality in 4th-5th instars. Average and maximum lifespans from hatch to adult death were 73 and 80 d, respectively. Field sampling in Campo Novo do Parecis and Parecis Plateau regions of Brazil showed that adults and older nymphs were present in all months of the year, but that oviposition and young nymphs were scarce during the dry-cool months of May to mid-August. Overall, our study suggests that in the State of Mato Grosso, there are 3.9 to 5.1 generations per year. The various instars could be differentiated by the number of antennal segments, body size, and shape and size of wing pads. Annual and regional variation in temperature and moisture may influence the life history and population dynamics of B. punctulatus.