Effects of Environmental Factors on Diversity of Orthopteran Population in District Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Environment is the predominant factor for deciding the appropriation and abundanceof Orthoptera species globally. During present study, the impact of major environmental factors on abrupt occurrence of Orthoptera species was examined. Orthopterans landed on vast agricultural fields of cotton, wheat, maize, sugarcane and other standing crops in fertile parts and sandy regions of district Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab, Pakistan. The survey on different localities of district Rahim Yar Khan, Punjab was conducted from January to December 2019, special attention was paid during rainy season. The total 4908 specimens of order Orthoptera, suborder Caelifera belonged to 8 species were collected from different localities of tehsils Sadiqabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Khanpur and Liaqatpur of district Rahim Yar Khan. The highest number of population, 2080 belonged to Schistocerca gregaria and lowest number of individuals belonged to Acrida exaltata were 135. However, other six species i.e., Peokilocerus pictus, Oxya hyla hyla, Sphingonotus savignyi, Heteracris littoralis, Aiolopus thalassinus thalassinus, Diabolocatantops innotabilis were 1090, 480, 386, 355, 195, 187 respectively. Among them 3472 were males and 1436 were females. The % relative abundance of Orthoptera species recoded from agricultural areas was 61.63 and 38.36 from desert areas. The species diversity indices, richness and equity of agricultural areas were 0.7766, 5.0377, 2.0110 and 0.8600 and sandy areas were 0.5132, 2.3663, 1.5268 and 0.6595 respectively. The highest numbers of specimens collected in the month of October were 1084 due to favourable environmental factors while lowest 112 specimens in the month of January due to unfavourable conditions. The abundance of Orthoptera populations were coincidence with different environmental factors i.e., temperature, humidity and rainfall in different months of year.