Tasas de consumo de individuos adultos de Bufonacris claraziana (Orthoptera: Tristiridae), acridio plaga de la Patagonia Argentina

The tristirid Bufonacris claraziana (Saussure, 1884), an endemic grasshopper of Argentinian Patagonia, is considered a pest species. The last registered outbreaks were in different areas of Santa Cruz, Chubut, and Rio Negro provinces from 2016 to 2024. The aim of this work was to evaluate the consumption rates of Festuca arundinaceae (Schreber) by adult males and females of B. claraziana under controlled laboratory conditions (30 ºC, 14 L: 10 D, 40 % RH). The consumption observed per sex in the different maturation stages was significantly different. Pre-reproductive females had the highest consumption rate (690.4±21.2 mg/day), followed by pre-reproductive males with an average consumption of 582±27.4 mg/day. A decrease of approximately 50 % in consumption was observed between the pre-reproductive and reproductive stages in both sexes. Pre-reproductive females and males of B. claraziana, consumed daily an amount of food equivalent to their body weight. The results of this study constitute the first contribution to determine the potential feeding impact of B. claraziana which would allow to estimate the degree of damage that it may cause during outbreaks.