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Locusts (derived from the Latin locusta , meaning grasshopper ) are various species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae that have a swarming phase. These insects are usually solitary but under certain circumstances they become more abundant and change their behaviour and habits, becoming gregarious . No taxonomic distinction is made between locust and grasshopper species; the basis for the definition is whether a species forms swarms under intermittently suitable conditions; this has evolved independently in multiple lineages, comprising at least 18 genera in 5 different acridid subfamilies.
Normally, these grasshoppers are innocuous, their numbers are low and they do not pose a major economic threat to agriculture. However, under suitable conditions of drought followed by rapid vegetation growth, serotonin in their brains triggers dramatic changes: they start to breed abundantly, becoming gregarious and nomadic (loosely described as migratory ) when their populations become dense enough. They form bands of wingless nymphs that later become swarms of winged adults. Both the bands and the swarms move around, rapidly strip fields and damage crops. The adults are powerful fliers; they can travel great distances, consuming most of the green vegetation wherever the swarm settles.
Locusts have formed plagues since prehistory . The ancient Egyptians carved them on their tombs and the insects are mentioned in the Iliad , the Mahabharata and the Bible . Swarms have devastated crops and have caused famines and human migrations. More recently, changes in agricultural practices and better surveillance of locust breeding grounds have allowed control measures at an early stage. Traditional locust control uses insecticides from the ground or air but newer biological control methods are proving effective.
Image: Locusts are grasshoppers, such as this migratory locust ( Locusta migratoria ), that have entered a migratory phase of their life.
#insect #earn
Normally, these grasshoppers are innocuous, their numbers are low and they do not pose a major economic threat to agriculture. However, under suitable conditions of drought followed by rapid vegetation growth, serotonin in their brains triggers dramatic changes: they start to breed abundantly, becoming gregarious and nomadic (loosely described as migratory ) when their populations become dense enough. They form bands of wingless nymphs that later become swarms of winged adults. Both the bands and the swarms move around, rapidly strip fields and damage crops. The adults are powerful fliers; they can travel great distances, consuming most of the green vegetation wherever the swarm settles.
Locusts have formed plagues since prehistory . The ancient Egyptians carved them on their tombs and the insects are mentioned in the Iliad , the Mahabharata and the Bible . Swarms have devastated crops and have caused famines and human migrations. More recently, changes in agricultural practices and better surveillance of locust breeding grounds have allowed control measures at an early stage. Traditional locust control uses insecticides from the ground or air but newer biological control methods are proving effective.
Image: Locusts are grasshoppers, such as this migratory locust ( Locusta migratoria ), that have entered a migratory phase of their life.
#insect #earn
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I've only seen one locust swarm, it was pretty creepy. It was in New Mexico, we drove through it. I didn't know that locust were basically just "gregarious" grasshoppers!
The swarm of "hungry grasshoppers" is dense enough for radar to detect? 😱 Driving through it must have been an experience?
we were in one a few years before this one - impressive though that the swarm was so dense the radar picked it up! whoops to imply we drove through this one. it was still pretty gross!