Locusts Control

Locusts are a group of certain species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acridities live on almost every continent of the world and are known for their propensity to gather in large, destructive swarms. Also locusts often live for several generations spanning decades in the solitary sedentary style that’s characteristic of other species of grasshoppers. It’s when locusts come together that their behavior changes, also we will learn why Locusts control is important and the means of locusts control the chemicals one and the non-chemicals

The following are the. most important points that we will discuss:

• What is a locust?
• The life cycle of locusts
• The shape and physical structure of locusts
• Types of locusts
• How do locusts reproduce
• Locust enemies
• Why do locusts change their behaviour?
• Desert Locust Food
• How long do desert locusts live?
• Why Locusts control is diffcuilt especially desert locust?
• locusts damage
• Locust control and locust prevention
• What is the difference between grasshopper and hoppers?
• Locusts control by using non-chemical means
• How locusts affect humans
• What countries are affected by the Desert Locust?
• Can satellites help detect locusts
• What are the risks of locusts control

the role of FAO in locusts control

What is locust?

Locusts are large grasshoppers that have a swarming phase and aren’t very dangerous when solitary or in small groups, but their behaviour changes when they transform from solitary phase into gregarious phase, and start forming swarms and They change colours and develop muscles ,a one-km swarm with about 40 million locusts can consume what 35,000 people consumes in a day.

The life cycle of locusts

1) The Egg – Stage 1 –

The first stage After fertilization from male locusts, the female locusts usually lay her eggs inside holes made in warm, damp soil or sand known as pods. The female locusts produce a froth-liquid that covers and  encloses the eggs which ensure hydration and protection from predators. After this, the eggs undergo further development and enter the next stage which is called the  nymph stage.

2) The Nymph – Stage 2 –

After 10 days to two weeks of egg-laying, the eggs hatch, and These hatched eggs locusts are called hoppers or nymphs.. Gradually as the nymph grows, they shed their skin or moult five times. These moulting phases are known as instars. After the fifth instar, the nymph starts to develop wings and reproductive organs.

3) The Fledglings – Stage 3 –

After the fifth moulting, their wings are still soft and fragile, even though the nymphs have fully grown wings, Due to this, the fledgelings can’t fly yet. During this stage, the exoskeleton of fledgeling locusts becomes harder. Fledgelings start to consume large amounts of plants so they could conserve energy for reproduction and wing development 

4) The Adult – Stage 4 –

After about two weeks, they become sexually mature. During this stage, the adult locust starts to migrate and eat continuously. Then the adults  gather in large groups and invade green plants or crop fields. The adult locusts live around eight to ten weeks, During this period the male and female locusts mate, the female locusts lay eggs and the entire cycle begins again.

The shape and physical structure of locusts

The body can be divided into three main parts: head, thorax and abdomen 

• Head :a pair of jointed antennae or feelers which the locust uses to recognise things by touch or smell. A pair of large compound eyes which give the locust a wide field of vision and enable it to detect movement easily. It is not known how many colours locusts can recognise but it has been shown that they react to green. The mouth which has several parts that can easily be separated and identified. These are the upper lip, a pair of hard, black, serrated jaws which move sideways to cut through plant food, a pair of secondary jaws which help in holding the food, and a lower lip. Jointed appendages which are called palps. These are used for tasting food.

• Thorax

 a locust emerges wingless as a non flying nymph, which can be either 

  solitary or gregarious.

This is the part of the body which contains the muscles for walking, jumping and flying, and to which the wings and legs are attached.

• Abdomen

 The ear, on the first section of the abdomen just behind the first joint of the large back legs. This is where the locust receives sounds. They also can hear each other up to about 2 m apart.

The ovipositor valves in the female. These are two pairs of short, curved, black hooks which form the tool with which the female locust digs a hole in the soil when the eggs are laid. This is how the female can be distinguished from the male, as the male does not have these hooks (Figs 9 and 10).

Types of locusts

• The Desert Locust Schistocerca gregaria
• The Bombay Locust Nomadacris succincta
•  The Migratory Locust Locusts migratoria manilensis
• The Italian Locust Calliptamus italicus
• The Moroccan Locust Dociostaurus morocannus
• The Red Locust Nomadacris septemfaciata
• The Brown Locust Locustana pardalina
• The South American Locust Schistocerca paranensis
• The Australian Locust Chortoicetes termenifera
• The Tree Locust Anacridium Spp.

How do locusts reproduce

The female locust lays her eggs in a hole that contains warm soil or sand called a pod. She produces a frothy liquid that hardens and protects the eggs from the sun and enemies, Eggs hatch in about two weeks (the range is 10-65 days), then they develop in five to six stages over a 30 to 40 days, and adults mature in about 3 weeks to 9 months but more frequently from 2 to 4 months.

Locust enemies

• Egg parasites

Several species of small wasps (3-5 mm long) belonging to the genus Scelio parasitise the eggs of locusts and grasshoppers. This genus is the most common species in inland areas and is the main egg parasite of the Australian plague locust. The female locust burrows through the froth plug on top of the locust egg pod and uses a retractable, needle-like ovipositor to lay an egg in each locust egg. While hatching, the wasp larva feeds inside the egg and kills the locust embryo. In dry conditions S. fulgides adults can stay dormant in the locust egg for like a  month or more before emerging after rain.

Flies (Diptera)

Various species of fly are parasites of locusts. They are seen usually in higher rainfall areas and can kill or reduce the fertility of locusts.

Blaesoxipha spp. (sarcophid blowflies) are a common parasite with a swift  larval development of 4-6 days in summer. The female fly puts minute maggot-like larvae directly on the locust which bore through the cuticle. The fully grown larva emerges through the locust body wall then pupates in the soil. The parasite has several generations a year. It usually does not kill the adult but that doesn’t mean they don’t hurt them ,the parasitised females lay fewer eggs. Nymphs generally die following emergence of the parasite.

Ceracia fergusoni (tachinid fly) is a parasite that looks like Blaesoxipha. The female fly glues the eggs directly onto the body of locusts. while hatching a small larva burrows through the base of the egg and enters the host. When fully-fed (ten to fourteen days after hatching) the larva emerges from the locust by pushing through the segments in the body then Pupation takes place in the soil, the adult fly emerging in about 12-15 days later.

Trichopsidea oestracea (bee-fly) females scatter and spread thousands of eggs on the ground or on standing dead wood such as tree stumps or fence posts. The resulting larvae move around freely and enter a locust or grasshopper through the breathing hole (spiracle ). Only one larva develops inside each host generally, and after emerging from the host it burrows into the ground to pupate. Those which pupate in autumn become adults in spring during the locust nymphal development period. There is a second smaller generation in the summer. High levels of parasitism have been listed in dry seasons. Parasitised locusts do not mature eggs and usually die when the fly larva emerges.

Mites

They live inside of locusts on tracheae (breathing organs),Their eggs can be seen on the dorsal surface of the locust when its wings are expanded.

Leptus sp. (body mites) is a red mite larva can be found frequently attached to the wings and bodies particularly of old locusts. The host is generally not affected.

Protozoans

Little is known about the protozoan parasites of locusts and they are ignored. They live as cysts attached to the lining of the midgut of locusts. The gut of a heavily parasitised host is yellow, a large number of parasites will interfere with digestion, the female fertility will be reduced or even cause the locust death

Predators

Numerous birds, insects and mammals eat locusts but generally they have not been shown to have a large impact on locust numbers during an outbreak. Vertebrate predators, unlike some parasites, are unable to increase rapidly in numbers to take advantage of a locust outbreak and their appetite is quickly satisfied, but some migratory and nomadic birds get together to feed on high density locusts.

Why do locusts change their behaviour?

When Desert Locusts increase in number and become overcrowded, the desert locusts change their behavior from that of acting as an individual (solitarious) insect to that as acting as part of a group (gregarious). The appearance of the locust changes, the solitary adults locusts are brown while gregarious adults are pink (immature) and yellow (mature), it was thought that the Desert Locust was actually two different species of locusts up until 1921

Desert Locust Food

A Desert Locust adult can consume its own weight as fresh food daily, that is about two grams every day, a very small part of an average swarm eats the same amount of food in one day as about ten elephants or twenty five camels or 2,500 people.

Here is an example to make it clear to you: a swarm as the size of Paris could eat the same amount of food in one day as half the population of France, a swarm as the size of New York City could consume in one day the same as everyone in New York and California combined, a swarm as the size of Rome can eat equal amount of food as everybody in Kenya; one the size of Sydney (Australia), the same amount of food in one day as all of Australia eats in 1.5 hours.

Desert Locusts are polyphagous and feed on flowers, fruit, seeds,leaves, shoots, stems and bark. Nearly all crops and plants are on the menu, including  barley, rice, sugarcane, maize, sorghum,cotton, vegetables, fruit trees, pasture grasses and weeds.

How long do desert locusts live?

A Desert Locust lives nearly from 3 to 5 months although this is extremely variable and depends mostly on weather and ecological conditions.

Why Locusts control is diffcuilt especially desert locust?

•  the extremely large area (16-30 million sq. km) within which locusts can be found.
•  it’s difficult to access such areas
• the insecurity or loss of safety (such as land mines) in some areas.
• There are not enough resources for locust monitoring and control in some of the affected countries.
• the undeveloped roads, communications, water and food in many countries. 
•  the difficulty to keep a satisfying number of trained staff and functioning resources during the long periods of recession in which there is little or no locust activity.
• political relations among the affected countries.
•  the difficulty in organizing and executing control operations in which the pesticide must be applied directly onto the locusts.

How to control desert locusts

Right now the main method to control Desert Locust swarms and hopper bands is with mainly organophosphate chemicals applied in small concentrated doses (known as ultra low volume (ULV) formulation) by vehicle-mounted and aerial sprayers and to a lesser extent by knapsack and hand-held sprayers.

Also Farmers used to try to drive away the locusts by lighting fires, they also dug

up the eggs, right now crops can be sprayed with insecticides from vehicles or

aeroplanes. Scientists are trying to improve the locusts control, by

preventing or dispersing swarms. Farmers and scientists also tried to

predict when a swarm will show up, so that controls can be introduced

earlier.

locusts damage

Locust swarms cause destruction to the crops and cause major agricultural damage, which can lead to famine and starvation, locusts can be found in many parts of the world, but today locusts cause destruction in subsistence farming regions in Africa.

Locust control and locust prevention

 We will now know the three types of commonly accepted standard practices in locusts control:

1- Conventional pesticides

2- Biopesticides

3- insect growth regulators

organophosphate chemicals is the main method of controlling Desert Locust swarms, it applied in small concentrated doses, referred to as ultra-low volume (ULV) formulation, this is done with vehicle-mounted and aerial sprayers and to a lesser extent by knapsack and hand-held sprayers, also It is important to carry out effective control methods, such as spraying with the organophosphate chemicals, early enough to curtail the surge in population.

At the present time ten chemical pesticides and one biopesticide have been recommended to use against Desert Locust by an FAO-convened body known as The Pesticide Referee Group,this group is an independent organization of scientist and experts that advises FAO on the efficacy and environmental impact of different pesticides in locust controls, based on current science. All usage of pesticides recommended for use by the Group are fully subject to national legislation, regulation and registration in the countries where they are used. There are alternatives to chemical pesticide and these alternatives are effective and can be used, when possible FAO encourages all the countries to use them.

What is the difference between grasshopper and hoppers?

As we said earlier, locusts are part of a large group of insects called grasshoppers which have big hind legs for jumping. Locusts belong to the family called Acrididae. Locusts can change their behavior and habits and can migrate over large distances., which makes them differ from grasshoppers 

Locusts control by using non-chemical means

Currently the main focus is on pathogens and insect growth regulators. till now control by natural predators and parasites is limited since locusts can migrate away quickly from most natural enemies, giant nets and flamethrowers have been proposed in the past, these are not in use for locust control.

People especially from Asia eat locusts even birds eat them too, but usually not enough to significantly reduce population levels over large areas.

How locusts affect humans

Swarming behavior doesn’t happen often but, locusts are typically thought of as fearsome pests prone to causing natural disasters. And although locusts don’t bite people, people eat them, locusts are edible and there is several recipes around the world include locust, but because modern farmers may use pesticides to protect their crops from locusts, locusts can be unsafe  to eat as they may be carrying residue from those pesticides   

What countries are affected by the Desert Locust?

Desert Locusts are usually restricted to the semi-arid and arid deserts of Africa During quiet periods, the Near East and South-West Asia that receive less than 200 mm of rain annually. This is an area of about sixteen million square kilometres, including about thirty countries.

Desert Locusts may spread over an enormous area in a scattered way of some twenty nine million square kilometres during plagues, also extending over or into parts of sixty countries, it is about 20% of the total land surface of the world.

Can satellites help detect locusts?

Satellites play an important role in locust prediction, forecasting and controlling, this is because they provide data on weather, ground cover and soil moisture that help scientists and governments to identify the areas that locusts might go to lay their eggs, find food and shelter. This information can then be used to guide survey and control operations, Although Satellites used to monitor the weather and environment cannot detect individual locusts or swarms but, only highly developed satellites that are used by the military can, but these images are not available for civilian use. (And it is unlikely that national and international locust organizations would be able to interpret the hundreds of images that such satellites would produce daily).

What are the risks of locusts control

Chemical pesticides used in locusts control can be dangerous to human and animal health.

None of the pesticides present major or long-lasting health risks to humans, unless exposed to it intensively which is unlikely if proper measures are taken before, during, and after control campaigns.

The Ultra-Low Volume amounts (about one litre per hectare) used in the spraying are not likely to lead to causes of severe operator exposure.

also none of the chemical pesticides that are used in East Africa are harmful to crops. Some can cause low to medium risk to mammals, including domestic livestock and fish but, most high risks happen to honeybees and other beneficial species.

But you can manage risks by using adequate precautionary measures and proper control measures.

Most of the pesticides that are used in East Africa by the governments do break down in the environment, at different rates of “biodegradation”, and because they break down they are not known as “persistent pollutants” that can accumulate in the environment and become concentrated in predators in the local food chain (bioamplification). 

the role of FAO in locusts control

One of the main misisons of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is to provide information on the general locust situation to all interested countries and giving warnings and predictions in time and forecasts to those countries in danger of invasion,Therefore FAO operates a centralized Desert Locust information service within the Locust Group at FAO Headquarters, Rome, Italy, all the countries that are affected by locusts transmit locust data to FAO who in turn analyze this information in conjunction with weather and habitat data and satellite imagery in order to assess the current situation for locusts, provide predictions up to six weeks in advance and issue warnings on an ad-hoc basis, also FAO prepares monthly bulletins and periodic updates summarizing the locust situation and forecasting migration and breeding on a country by country basis, these are distributed by email, fax, and post not only this all locust information is archived at FAO Headquarters you can read out some of this on the Internet, also FAO provides training repares publications on various aspects of locusts.

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