Sex ratios in juveniles and adults of Dichroplus maculipennis (Blanchard) and Borellia bruneri (Rehn) (Orthoptera: Acrididae)

Dichroplus maculipennis and Borellia bruneri are two of the 18 grasshopper species of actual or potentialeconomic relevance as pests in Argentina. The objective of this study was to estimate the sex ratios foradults and older nymphs of D. maculipennis and B. bruneri in the field, and analyze possibl...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Mariottini, Yanina, Pocco, Martina Eugenia, Wysiecki, María Laura de, Lange, Carlos Ernesto
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2015
País:Argentina
Institución:Universidad Nacional de La Plata
Repositorio:SEDICI (UNLP)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/86403
Acceso en línea:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/86403
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Zoología
Acrididae
Adults
Nymphs
Pampas region
Sex ratio
Descripción
Sumario:Dichroplus maculipennis and Borellia bruneri are two of the 18 grasshopper species of actual or potentialeconomic relevance as pests in Argentina. The objective of this study was to estimate the sex ratios foradults and older nymphs of D. maculipennis and B. bruneri in the field, and analyze possible temporal variations. The study was conducted during seven seasons (2005-06 to 2011-12) in representative plant communities of the southern Pampas region. A total of 4536 individuals of D. maculipennis, and 6038 individuals of B. bruneri were collected. The sex ratio registered in older nymphs for D. maculipennis and B. bruneri did not deviate from a 1:1 ratio (p > 0.05), suggesting that these species have such a primary sexratio. However, a significant bias in sex composition in adults of both species was observed (p < 0.05). Thesex ratio in adults of D. maculipennis was different in five of the 18 sampling dates carried out. In three sampling dates it was biased toward males, while in the other two it was biased toward females. Takinginto account the sex ratio by sampling season, significant differences were recorded in two seasons. In 2007-08 the sex ratio was biased toward males (1 F:2.26 M), while in 2008-09 it was biased toward females (1.35 F:1 M). The sex ratio in adults of B. bruneri was always biased toward males (p < 0.05). We conclude that results obtained in this study indicate that various factors like differential survival, dispersion, predation, among others, could have modified the primary sex ratio in these species.