Artificial diets for the rice grasshopper, Oxya yezoensis Shiraki (Orthoptera: Catantopidae)

Newly-hatched nymphs of the rice grasshopper, Oxya yezoensis Shiraki (Orthoptera: Catantopidae) were reared on artificial diets. The artificial diets consisted of dry leaf powder from one of three Gramineae plants, dried brewers' yeast, milk casein, wheat germ powder, sucrose, β-sitosterol, Beck's salt mixture, ascorbic acid, vitamin B mixture, L-cysteine, sorbic acid, propionic acid, agar, and water. There were no significant differences in the nymphal period, percentage of adult emergence, adult weights, and the number of egg-pods laid per female between hoppers reared on the artificial diet and those reared on fresh rice seedlings. The present study is the first report on the successful rearing of the Catantopidae species on an artificial diet.