Fauna, features of separation of ecological niches and reproductive isolation of grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acridoidea) in the southern part of Astrakhan Region (Russia) in environs of the Dosang station

• Main Authors: V.Yu. Savitsky, A.S. Prosvirov, A.A. Gusakov
• Format: Article
• Language: Russian
• Published: Russian Academy of Science. Southern Scientific Centre. Federal Research Centre 2013-08-01
• Series: Кавказский энтомологический бюллетень
• Subjects: Orthoptera; Acridoidea; sand desert; ecological niches; acoustic signals; reproductive isolation
• Online Access: http://www.ssc-ras.ru/files/files/2_%20Savitsky.pdf

Thirty-eight grasshopper species were showed for environs of the Dosang station (Astrakhan Region, Russia), 22 species inhabit sand desert, 29 species inhabit the valley of Volga and Akhtuba Rivers. Features of their phenology, habitat preference and acoustic communication were investigated. Features of separation of ecological niches and factors determining reproductive isolation of grasshoppers were analyzed. It is shown that species inhabiting the same biotope could have overlap of food and microhabitat niches, but they have different acoustic niches. In some cases, interspecific competition for the acoustic dimension of the biotope is an important factor limiting biotopical distribution of grasshoppers. At the same time grasshoppers occupy part of potential acoustic niches only in all of the studied biotopes. Thus the acoustic dimension of the biotope is unfilled. It is shown that the phenology and habitat preferences play an important role in the reproductive isolation of grasshoppers having the same or overlapping acoustic niches