Diversity and Distribution of Family Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) from Low and Mid Hills of Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

This study documents the diversity and distribution of Tettigoniidae (Orthoptera) in the low- and mid-hill regions of Himachal Pradesh, India. Field surveys were conducted from 2022 to 2025 across representative sites ranging from 300 to 2000 m asl. The surveyed habitats included agricultural fields, orchards, tea plantations, roadside bushlands, grasslands, riverine areas and forest-edge vegetation. Specimens were collected through hand-net sweeping, visual searching, beating of shrubs and small trees, and night-time acoustic surveys, followed by preservation and identification using diagnostic morphological characters and standard taxonomic keys. A total of 23 species belonging to 18 genera and seven subfamilies of Tettigoniidae were recorded from the study area. Phaneropterinae was the dominant subfamily, followed by Conocephalinae, while other subfamilies were represented by fewer species. The mid-hill region showed comparatively higher species richness than the low-hill region, and several species occurred in agro-forestry systems, grasslands, orchards and forest-edge habitats. Frequently encountered species included Ducetia japonica, Conocephalus maculatus, Mecopoda elongata and Letana megastridula. Diversity analysis indicated a Shannon index value of 2.486 and a Simpson index value of 0.9, suggesting appreciable diversity and relatively even distribution of species in the sampled areas. The findings indicate that low- and mid-hill habitats of Himachal Pradesh support a notable assemblage of katydids, including species associated with cultivated and semi-natural habitats under varying local management conditions. The study provides updated baseline information on the composition, habitat association and distribution of Tettigoniidae in these elevations and highlights the need for continued monitoring in landscapes undergoing horticultural and agricultural change.