23.05.2024 18:03
One of the locusts observed in the rural area of Şırnak is being examined at the Faculty of Science at Dicle University. The species of the plump locusts, known as "cannibals" due to their habit of eating their mates to improve egg quality, will be determined.
The cannibal plump grasshopper, seen in the rural areas of Şırnak, will be studied and identified by the Department of Zoology at Dicle University Faculty of Science.
The cannibal plump grasshoppers, which are rarely seen above an altitude of 1000 meters in nature, feed on grass and also eat their males to improve the quality of their eggs. They were recorded in the extinct volcanic Karacadağ, located within the borders of Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, and Mardin in 2020.
The cannibal plump grasshoppers, which have applied to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to be included in the red list of endangered species, cannot spread over a wide area because they are wingless.
THERE ARE MANY SUBSPECIES
One of the grasshoppers observed in the rural areas of Şırnak was delivered to Prof. Dr. Ali Satar, the Head of the Department of Zoology at Dicle University Faculty of Science. Prof. Dr. Satar, who has been studying arthropods in the region for years, will determine the species of the grasshopper through his examination. Satar stated that the large and plump grasshoppers are called "cannibal" because they eat their males to improve the quality of their eggs. Satar, who stated that this cannibal grasshopper genus has many subspecies, said, "These are endemic species and they live in specific areas. There is a species living in our Karacadağ region. This species found is quite different from the others. We can directly see their morphological differences. We will determine the species by looking at the diagnostic keys."
THEY EAT SMALL ORGANISMS
Satar, who stated that the found species is larger than the others, stated that the cannibal grasshoppers living in Karacadağ are smaller than this species. Satar said, "This one is even larger, and it is said that there are even larger ones in the region. Therefore, we know for sure that it is a different species. These are important species for our endemic and biological diversity. We know that if one organism becomes extinct in nature, it affects 30-40 organisms along with it. They affect each other in a chain reaction." Satar also pointed out that there may be an increase in the numbers of these species seasonally and depending on rainfall, and stated that they feed on plants and also eat small organisms.
"THEY DO NOT BITE PEOPLE AND DO NOT SPREAD DISEASES"
Prof. Dr. Satar warned the public, saying, "This creature, which looks very scary from the outside, does not harm anyone. It does not harm humans. These are species specific to our country and the places they inhabit. They do not bite people and do not transmit diseases. Please do not harm them."