Journal of Economic Entomology (1995) 88, 1455-1460

D.C. Thompson, L.A. Torell, E.W. Huddleston and J.H. Davis (1995)
Forage destruction by Aulocara elliotti (Orthoptera: Acrididae) on rangeland in the southwestern United States
Journal of Economic Entomology 88 (5), 1455-1460
Abstract: Forage destruction rates of the big-headed grasshopper, Aulocara elliotti (Thomas), on southwestern rangelands dominated by the C₄ warm-season grass, Bouteloua gracilis (Humboldt, Bonpland, and Kunth) Griffiths, were studied in 1987 and 1989. To obtain variable grasshopper defoliation pressures, A. elliotti were caged at densities ranging from 0 to 40 grasshoppers per square meter. Precipitation (both natural and supplemental) and grasshopper feeding days were used to predict forage production and grasshopper forage destruction using regression analysis. Total forage destruction rates varied between sites (38-64 mg total forage per feeding day) but not between years at a given site. When forage was increased by adding supplemental water, destruction rates were not influenced. Estimated forage destruction rates were similar to values reported for studies in northern climates where cool-season grasses predominate. However, under the conditions of this study, A. elliotti was less selective of host plants than has been reported in other feeding studies.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
damage/losses/economics

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Aulocara elliotti	Bouteloua (crop)	U.S.A. (SW)