Desertaria fasciata is a species of grasshopper commonly known as the striped ungee-gungee.[1] It is similar to the common grasshopper or locust found throughout Australia. Its shape is also similar to the common Australian grasshopper. Its colour is a slight orange/red tinge that is similar to the environments it is found in. Its developmental mode is hemimetabolous and uses biting/chewing mouthparts it feeds on plant matter.[2] Grasshoppers in the Acrididae family are characterized by having the auditory organs (ears) positioned on each side of the first abdominal segments which are covered by the wings. The antennae's are considerably short and only extending less than half of the grasshoppers total body length.[3]
| Striped ungee-gungee | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Orthoptera |
| Suborder: | Caelifera |
| Family: | Acrididae |
| Genus: | Desertaria |
| Species: | D. fasciata
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| Binomial name | |
| Desertaria fasciata Sjöstedt, 1920
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Ecology and behaviour
editThe striped ungee-gungee has been observed in most parts of Australia, including the states of Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia. Most observations have been in central Australia where climate is hot desert and hot semi-arid climate types.[4] There have been observations as far west as Ennuin (Western Australia) and the most easterly observation in Sturt National Park in New South Wales.[1] Like most organisms in the infraorder Acrididae, this species feeds on mostly plant matter including, grass, leaves and roots[5]
Taxonomy
editDesertaria fasciata was named by the Swedish naturalist Yngve Söstedt in 1920 after the Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia of Eric Mjöberg where many organisms including Desertaria fasciata were discovered.[6] The grasshopper fauna of Australia exhibits traits that are conditioned for species that have endured prolonged geographical isolation,[7] which includes Desertaria fasciata.
References
edit- ^ a b Citizen science observations for Desertaria fasciata at iNaturalist
- ^ "OneZoom Tree of Life Explorer, text page for Desertaria". www.onezoom.org. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ "Grasshoppers of the Family Acrididae; Their Habits and Traits". ThoughtCo. Retrieved 2024-06-16.
- ^ "Australia / New Zealand Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification Map". www.plantmaps.com. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ "Grasshoppers". Backyard Buddies. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
- ^ Sjöstedt, Y.; Kungl. Svenska vetenskapsakademien. (1918). "Results of Dr. E. Mjöbergs Swedish scientific expeditions to Australia 1910–1913. 20. Acridiodea". Arkiv för Zoologi. Bd. 12 (1918–1920) (20). Stockholm: P.A. Norstedt & soner: 1–67.
- ^ Key, K. H. L. (1959), Keast, A.; Crocker, R. L.; Christian, C. S. (eds.), "The Ecology and Biogeography of Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts", Biogeography and Ecology in Australia, Monographiae Biologicae, Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, pp. 192–210, doi:10.1007/978-94-017-6295-3_11, ISBN 978-94-017-5837-6, retrieved 2024-06-15
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