The locust fauna of the National Park Almen

A total of 20 different locust species could be detected on the pastures examined from 2004 to 2006 (Table 6). The number of determined individuals totals 1374 (960 adults, 414 larvae). 325 animals (of which 293 larvae) could only be assigned to the genus Chorthippus or Tetrix, but not to any species or, in the case of Tetrix, partly only with a question mark of a species, and were only included in the number of species per area/alm if the species in question or no species of the genus was detected. The highest number of species was found on the Niederscheibenalm with 15 species. It is followed by the Hochscheibe with 13 15 species and the Kölbalm with 13 - 14 species, whereby additional areas were examined especially at the Kölblalm in 2004. Significantly lower species numbers with 5 and 7 species were found on the areas of the Hüpflinger, Haselkar- and Scheucheggalm, which were examined in 2004. Of the abandoned alpine pastures, the Eggeralm is characterized by nine proven species. Structural diversity, location and exposure are likely to be responsible for the high number of species. On the two northern-exposed and therefore climatically less favoured alpine pastures at the Zinödl (Wolfbauernhochalm and Ebnesangeralm), however, only 1 and 2 species respectively could be registered. Altogether, the alpine pastures north of the Enns tend to have a higher number of species. And five species could be detected on the examined alpine pastures so far exclusively north of the Enns: Chrysochraon dispar, Euthystira brachyptera, Leptophyes boscii, Psophus stridulus and Tetrix subulata. The total species numbers vary greatly between the individual alpine pastures. Among the most species-rich areas are well-sunned and structurally rich areas that meet the different habitat requirements of the individual species. Furthermore, above all sea level also plays a decisive role for this heat-loving group of animals (see Frieß & Derbuch 2005). For example, the areas on the Niederscheibenalm (900 m) are among the most species-rich (primarily fern and pure pasture), while the number of species on the Hochscheibenalm (1190 m) is significantly lower on the heavily grazed and short-grassed areas (primarily intensive pasture and deadwood pasture). However, different grazing intensities could also play a role here, which the study areas on the Hochscheibenalm are more grazed, so that vertical structures are largely missing and the number of species could also be lower as a result.