Steppe dyke - the endangered grasshopper

Steppe dyke is the largest grasshopper ever inhabiting Russia. The insect belongs to the subfamily of the toes. At the moment it is a disappearing species of insects and is listed in the Red Book.

Description

The body length of the female without ovipositor is 30-40 mm, and with it - 70-90 mm. The wings of a large insect are either completely absent or presented in the form of very short rudiments and do not bring any visible benefit. Steppe dib has an elongated head with a sharply oblique downward forehead. There are numerous strong spines on the front and middle thighs. The hind legs are elongated, but unlike other grasshoppers, they practically do not help with a hitch when jumping. Nevertheless, this insect can jump on a rather impressive distance. A steppe steppe, the photo of which can be seen in the article, is painted green or greenish-yellow with a longitudinal border located on the sides. This color allows a small predator to hide in grass or other thickets and catch beetles and other small animals. In addition, it is an excellent disguise that protects the grasshopper from his enemies.

Habitat

Steppe dyke is quite common in Georgia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Also it can be found in Moldova, Ukraine and in Southern Europe. In Russia, the insect inhabits areas in the non-plowed steppes and lives in the Kursk, Voronezh, Lipetsk, Samara and other areas. An insect can be found in thickets of thorn, as well as in shrubs of stony steppes. The nearest relatives of these grasshoppers live in South Africa and Australia. Until recently, the steppe dyke lived throughout the steppe zone, from the Kharkov and Chelyabinsk regions in the north to the Crimea and the Caucasus in the south. To date, the area of residence of these grasshoppers has decreased, and now they can be found only in Ciscaucasia.

Food

In the diet, preference is given to cereal-herbaceous plants. By nature, this grasshopper is a predator. Mostly hunts at night. Steppe bottles feed on grasshopper foals, as well as insects such as mantises, bedbugs and other small beetles.

Reproduction

It reproduces by parthenogenetic method. Presumably, the steppe has 68 chromosomes, which is twice as large as that of a sedentary grasshopper. The female starts egg laying 3-4 weeks after the imaginal molt. Throughout life, a grasshopper lays eggs in the soil in small portions. Thus, almost all the time he is at the stage of reproduction. It is known that even after the death of a female, more than a dozen eggs can be found in her body.

Hatch larvae about 12 millimeters in size. Throughout development, young grasshoppers pass through eight ages and reach full maturation after 25 days.

Limit factors and protection

The total number of these unusual grasshoppers continues to decline steadily. This is because the natural habitat of these insects is constantly being destroyed. To date, this factor is not fatal, as there are still shelters in the form of ravines and other places that have a lowered relief. Such a habitat is suitable for eating a steppe. These places are most favorable and meet all the needs, as well as the biological characteristics of such grasshoppers.

The greatest danger for the existence of the steppe dyke at the moment is the large-scale use of insecticides. Since in most fields, crops are constantly sprayed with chemicals, giant grasshoppers suffer greatly. But nevertheless the steppe poplar, the photo of which is presented below, is protected in the Zhigulevsky, Khopersky and Bashkir reserves.

Specialists recommend keeping the plowed fields in the fields within the habitat range of these insects. Also they advise to abstain in these places from haymaking and stop cutting down bushes and trees.

Steppe dyke is listed in the Red Book

This species has been included in the Red Book and is currently protected by law as an endangered species, just like a close steppe kindergarten - a saddle-tailed grasshopper. A distinctive feature of this insect is that its back really resembles a saddle.

Among other things, large grasshoppers are listed in the European Red List, as well as in the Red Book of Ukraine.

Finally

Today it is very important to protect not only the large animals, but even the smallest insects, from extinction, as they are an indispensable part of the nutritional cycle in nature. Destroying small grasshoppers, we deprive the food of larger individuals that feed on beetles, bugs, flies, etc. Ultimately this leads to the fact that larger animals suffer and gradually begin to disappear from the face of the Earth.

Scientists annually make the most endangered species of animals and plants in the Red Book. The extermination of these living beings is punishable by law and is strictly prohibited throughout the world.