NATURAL SCIENCES

Journal of fundamental
and
applied researches

Orthoptera: The biocenoses of the Volga delta

2013. №1, pp. 9-14

Pirogovskiy Mikhail I. - Ph.D. (Biology), Associate Professor, Astrakhan State University, 1 Shaumyan Sq., Astrakhan, 414000, Russian Federation, estnauki2009@rambler.ru

Kuzmina Nina V. - postgraduate, Astrakhan State University, 1 Shaumyan Sq., Astrakhan, 414000, Russian Federation, lvenok_90@inbox.ru

Volkova Anastasiya A. - postgraduate student, Astrakhan State University, 1 Shaumyan Sq., Astrakhan, 414000, Russian Federation, lvenok_90@inbox.ru

The paper relates that locusts are the largest group of insects, and that each of its species can cause serious damage to agriculture and to natural plant biocenosis. Currently, there are about 40 species of the Acrididae family of locusts in Astrakhan region. The most interesting among them are harmful species such as Locusta Migratoria and Calliptamus Italicus. The work subsequently presents materials on quantity changes in these species which have occurred over the last five years. It also explains that the species depends on the prevailing dynamics of temperature conditions in Astrakhan region. Finally, the document provides methods for calculating the damage caused by these species to phytoceonosis in Astrakhan region.

Key words: spread,thermal,water regime,gregarious,non-gregarious,swarm,herd,succession,dynamics,quantity,damage,Locusta Migratoria,Calliptamus Italicus