''Aularches miliaris'' is a

grasshopper Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is possibly the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshopp ...

species of the monotypic genus ''Aularches'', belonging to the family Pyrgomorphidae.(2013
''Aularches miliaris''
( Linnaeus,

1758 Events January–March * January 1 – Swedish biologist Carl Linnaeus (Carl von Linné) publishes in Stockholm the first volume (''Animalia'') of the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, 10th edition of ''Systema Naturae'', the sta ...

) from Orthoptera Species File (OSF) Online. (retrieved 16 March 2020). The bright

warning colours Aposematism is the advertising by an animal to potential predators that it is not worth attacking or eating. This unprofitability may consist of any defences which make the prey difficult to kill and eat, such as toxicity, venom, foul taste or ...

keep away predators and their defense when disturbed includes the ejection of a toxic foam. The insect has been called by a variety of names including coffee locust, ghost grasshopper, northern spotted grasshopper, and foam grasshopper, and enjoys some popularity as a pet insect.

Description

Aularches miliaris-Silent Valley-2016-08-13-001

The head and thorax are dark green with a canary-yellow band on the side. The tegmina are green with many yellow spots; the legs are blue, with a yellow serrated pattern on the hind femora. The abdomen is black with bright red bands.

Subspecies and distribution

There are two subspecies: * ''A. miliaris miliaris'' (Linnaeus, 1758) - India to Indo-China * ''A. miliaris pseudopunctatus'' Kevan, 1974 - Pakistan

Habits

It swarms in October, the mating and egg-laying season, collecting on bushes and grasses. It is heavy and sluggish, able to make only short leaps, very visible on vegetation. Outbreaks leading to this species damaging cultivated crops are uncommon. When ''A. miliaris'' (of either sex) is disturbed or grabbed, it emits a sharp rasping noise from its thoracic segments. If its thorax is pinched, it also squirts a clear viscous mucus with unpleasant smell and a bitter taste, faintly

alkaline In chemistry, an alkali (; from ar, القلوي, al-qaly, lit=ashes of the saltwort) is a base (chemistry), basic, ionic compound, ionic salt (chemistry), salt of an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal. An alkali can also be defined as ...

, with many embedded bubbles. This foam comes out as a strong jet from apertures in the thorax, and more gently from other openings in the body (ten in total); it heaps up around the insect and partly covers it.

Conservation

''Autarchies miliaris'', like most other grasshoppers, are considered a pest in agricultural areas; however it is also endangered or near threatened in South India. ''A. miliaris'' lays eggs in the soil which aerates the soil promoting biodiversity and creates ecosystem value. Their interactions and natural process contribute to the health of the soil. The presence of a variety of insects in the soil are indicators of soil quality. There are a few conservation efforts for this species. At times of high population, growth can be controlled by tilling the area where they deposit their egg pods or collecting the grasshoppers; pesticides are effective; however they are normally not environmentally friendly and can cause damage to other animals and vegetation. Lack of awareness among the residents regarding the entomofauna diversity has led to the misidentification of ''Autarchies miliaris'' as the plague causing locust species at many instances and evoked panic among local farmers.

References

External links

*
Orthoptera Species File
{{Taxonbar, from=Q14594514, from2=Q4821720, from3=Q49422598 Pyrgomorphidae Aposematic animals Grasshoppers described in 1758 Orthoptera of Asia Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Monotypic Orthoptera genera