Hieroglyphus of Pakistan

The genus Hieroglyphus Krauss (1877) reviewed by Mason (1973) comprises a number of species. Of these three species H.perpolita (Uvarov), H.oryzivorus Carl and H.nigrorepletus I.Bolivar occur in Pakistan. Certain species of Hieroglyphus present interesting complex as they appear in swarm (Ghouri and Ahmed 1960), while H.nigrorepletus, H.oryzivorus and H.daganensis are dimorphic, occurring in both brachypterous as well as in macropterous forms. According to Uvarov (1922) macropterous form occurs incidentally. H. nigroreletus I.Bolivar is reported as a major pest of rice, sugarcane, wheat, maize in India and Pakistan (Roonwal, 1978). It was in 1949 that this pest was reported by Bhatia to be causing extensive damage to millets in the Ajmer Marwara state and in the adjoining areas of Rajastan. About 75% of the village covering an area of 112.707 acres of maize and jowar in Ajmer-Marwara state was reported to be infested with this grasshopper and the loss caused by this pest was reported to be six million rupees. Inspite of these reports, this pest did not attract much attention of economic entomologists.