Morphological characteristics of Dociostaurus maroccanus in different regions along the China-Kazakhstan Border
Author of the article:HE Shi-Ying1, 2** JI Rong2, 3 GUO Ya-Ting4 LIN Jun4 HE Lan1, 2***
Author's Workplace：1. International Center for the Collaborative Management of Cross-border Pests in Central Asia, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Special Species Conservation and Regulatory Biology, College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi 830017, China; 2. Tacheng Research Field (Migratory Biology), Observation and Research Station of Xinjiang Tacheng, Tacheng 834700, China; 3. Changji University, Changji 831100, China; 4. Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Wildlife Protection and Monitoring Center, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Grassland Biological Disaster Prevention and Control Center, Urumqi 830000, China
Key Words：Dociostaurus maroccanus; morphological characteristics; geographical populations; Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China; Kazakhstan
Abstract：
[Aim] To develop a method for the
accurate morphological identification of Dociostaurus maroccanus, a
significant, invasive species of locust, and thereby improve the accuracy of
population monitoring and early warnings of outbreaks of this pest. [Methods] Morphological differences between D.
maroccanus and two congeneric species, D. kraussi and D.
brevicollis were assessed. Furthermore, morphological traits of D.
maroccanus, including body length, posterior femur length, and hind tibia
length, as well as the E/F ratio, were compared between specimens from China
and Kazakhstan. Pearson correlation analysis was used to examine relationships
among various morphological parameters of the D. maroccanus. [Results] D. maroccanus is the largest
species in the genus, and the inner side of its hind femur has a light pink
coloration. In contrast, D. kraussi and D. brevicollis are
smaller, and the inner surface of the hind femur of these species is
yellowish-brown or earth-yellow. Both D. maroccanus and D. brevicollis lack black spots on the upper and lower carinae of the outer side of the hind
femur, whereas D. kraussi possesses distinct black spots on these
carinae. These characteristics are key morphological features for
distinguishing between these three locust species in the field. There was a
highly significant positive correlation between the body length of female and
male adults of D. maroccanus and forewing length, hindwing length,
posterior femur length, and tibia length, indicating a high degree of morphological
correlation between morphological features involved in flight and jumping(P <
0.001). Compared to the Kazakhstan population, the Chinese population
of D. maroccanus had significantly larger morphological metrics, with
the hindwing area, forewing length, body length, posterior femur length, and
tibia length of specimens from China being 19.42%, 15.83%, 11.63%, 10.53%, and
10.16%, larger, respectively, than those of specimens from Kazakhstan. In
addition, the E/F ratio of Chinese specimens was significantly higher than that
of specimens from Kazakhstan(P < 0.001). [Conclusion] These findings provide a scientific
basis for the accurate identification of D. maroccanus, and improve
understanding of the cross-border migration patterns of this species.