ABSTRACT
Orthoptera are a group of insects that include grasshoppers, locusts, crickets, bush-crickets, mole crickets, and camel-crickets that exist in terrestrial habitats throughout the world. The tympanum or ear is located in the front tibia in crickets, mole crickets, and katydids and on the first abdominal segment in the grasshoppers and locusts. The lateral and dorsal views of the external genitalia of the males and females of Acrididae decipher typical taxonomic characters for identification of the fauna at the subfamily level; besides, often assisting at the generic-level identification for many grasshoppers. Several species of grasshoppers are considered major pests, especially when they periodically develop into local and large-scale outbreaks, causing enormous economic damage. P. Kumar and C. A. Viraktamath have studied the taxonomy and diversity of short-horned grasshoppers of Bangalore district of Karnataka. Grasshoppers are noted in the list of destructive crop pests, and the family Acrididae alone has more than 100 species that are pests of agricultural crops and pastures.
