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Elements for the sustainable management of acridoids of
importance in
agriculture
María Irene Hernández-Zul1, Juan Angel
Quijano-Carranza1, Ricardo Yañez-López1,
Irineo Torres-Pacheco1, Ramón Guevara-Gónzalez1,
Enrique Rico-García1, Adriana Elena
Castro-Ramírez2 and Rosalía Virginia
Ocampo-Velázquez1*
1Department
of Biosystems, School of Engineering, Queretaro State
University, C.U. Cerro de las Campanas, Querétaro, México.
2Department
of Agroecology, Colegio de la Frontera Sur, San Cristóbal de
las Casas, Chiapas, México.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
rosalia.ocampo@uaq.mx.
Tel: (52) (442) 1921200 ext. 60l6. Fax: (52) (442) 1921200
ext. 6015.
Accepted 16 December, 2011 |
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Acridoidea is a superfamily within the Orthoptera order that
comprises a group of short-horned insects commonly called
grasshoppers. Grasshopper and locust species are major pests
of grasslands and crops in all continents except Antarctica.
Economically and historically, locusts and grasshoppers are
two of the most destructive agricultural pests. The most
important locust species belong to the genus Schistocerca
and populate America, Africa, and Asia. Some grasshoppers
considered to be important pests are the Melanoplus
species, Camnula pellucida in North America,
Brachystola magna and Sphenarium purpurascens in
northern and central Mexico, and Oedaleus senegalensis
and Zonocerus variegatus in Africa. Previous studies
have classified these species based on specific
characteristics. This review includes six headings. The
first discusses the main species of grasshoppers and
locusts; the second focuses on their worldwide distribution;
the third describes their biology and life cycle; the fourth
refers to climatic factors that facilitate the development
of grasshoppers and locusts; the fifth discusses the action
or reaction of grasshoppers and locusts to external or
internal stimuli and the sixth refers to elements to design
management strategies with emphasis on prevention.
Key words: Acridoidea, grasshoppers, locusts,
acridoid control, sustainable management. |
