Analysis of Orthoptera Community Structure in Different Steppe Types of Inner Mongolia and Prediction of Suitable Habitats for Orthoptera

To clarify the diversity distribution patterns of Orthoptera in Inner Mongolia grasslands and identify key environmental drivers, we systematically collected 28,540 specimens from five steppe types (meadow, typical, desert steppe, steppe desert, and desert), and combined field surveys with MaxEnt modeling using 81 spatially filtered occurrence points to predict suitable habitats. Oedipodinae and Gomphocerinae were the dominant groups. Species richness and Chao1 indices were significantly higher in typical steppe (60.17 and 76.23) than in desert (24.67), while Shannon and Simpson indices showed no significant differences among types. Principal coordinate analysis clearly separated humid-zone (meadow and typical) from arid-zone (steppe desert and desert) communities. Precipitation of the wettest month (37.4% contribution) and minimum temperature of the coldest month (23.4%) were the key limiting factors. Currently, nearly all areas of Inner Mongolia are potential suitable habitats for Orthoptera, with high-suitability areas accounting for 4.03%; unsuitable areas are extremely small and only scattered in a few local regions. These findings support a zonal management strategy, providing a scientific basis for integrated pest control and sustainable grassland ecosystem management in Inner Mongolia.