What locusts eat: mouth apparatus, whether they have teeth, whether they can bite or sting a person. A peninsula with a raid of locusts: how a pest eats the Crimean crop Locusts as a fodder insect for humans

What locusts eat: mouth apparatus, whether they have teeth, whether they can bite or sting a person. A peninsula with a raid of locusts: how a pest eats the Crimean crop Locusts as a fodder insect for humans

08.03.2020 Accessories

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10.05.2017

The invasion of the voracious locust has long been considered a terrifying natural disaster. Some flocks, when flying from place to place, form huge clouds of insects in the sky, the area of \u200b\u200bwhich can reach thousands of square kilometers and number several billion individuals. The pest at the root devours all the vegetation on its path, so after its invasion only bare ground remains.

The locust is omnivorous and feeds most actively in the early morning and late evening, eating leaves, flowers, young stalks of shoots and fruits of plants. During the day, an adult individual can cover a distance of fifty (!) Kilometers, which makes it very dangerous in the accumulation of a large number of relatives.

The mass revival of locusts and the formation of a large swarm of pests occurs approximately once every ten to fifteen years. During this period, a huge flock can cover a day distance from three hundred to a thousand kilometers (if there is a fair wind) and at the same time occupy an area of about two thousand hectares of land.

For the first time, the attack of huge flocks of locusts is mentioned in the annals of Rus' dated 1108. As a result of this invasion, there was a terrible famine everywhere. They say that trouble does not come alone, and the massive attack of insects was repeated in 1094, 1095, 1103 and 1195.

In 1824, locusts raged in the Kherson, Yekaterinoslav and Tauride provinces.

As part of the fight against this harmful attack in the South of Ukraine, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin was seconded among other officials. Returning on May 28 from a business trip, the poet handed over to the office a report with the following content:

locust

Collegiate Secretary Alexander Pushkin.

The locust is extremely gluttonous. Every day, an adult insect eats as much plant food as it weighs itself, so it was not in vain that the locust attack became the eighth Egyptian plague and a sign for the pharaoh, so that he finally allowed Moses to lead the people of Israel out of Egypt ( Ref. ).

Even at the present time, locusts, no, no, yes, and will manifest themselves. This happens especially often on the African continent, which is facilitated by the hot climate.

The last notable locust invasions occurred in the North Caucasus (in 2010 and 2015), and its largest invasion was recorded in 1875 in the United States, when a huge swarm of insects caused enormous devastation to the state of Texas.

In Ukraine, the facts of mass reproduction of locusts have not yet been recorded, but if the average air temperature continues to rise (and such a trend is visible), then the global warming factor may cause outbreaks of a sharp increase in the locust population in our area.

Locust is found everywhere, except that it is difficult to detect it in the northern regions of the globe, since it is a heat-loving insect and in natural conditions, with the onset of cold weather, the number of insects decreases sharply.

When flying, locusts make a creaking sound, so when a huge colony of insects flies, the sounds of individual individuals merge, amplifying many times, and become an eerie rumble, which from afar resembles the rumble of summer thunder.

adult (adult)

Whole locust family ( lat. Acrididae) has about ten thousand species of insects, but two forms are the most harmful: Asian and migratory ( lat. Locusta migratoria).

The appearance of the locust is unsightly and resembles a large grasshopper or cricket, only with more powerful jaws.

The body of an adult migratory individual can reach six centimeters in length, and the largest can be over fifteen (up to twenty) centimeters.

The wings of an adult insect are greenish with brown spots, the hind wings are transparent and have a green or yellow tint.

The appearance of the winged form of the flying locust is preceded by the usual green filly - a loner, which can easily be found on an ordinary sun-drenched lawn with wild flowers.

One adult locust lives from eight months to two years and has two life stages, forms or phases of development. These forms are very different from each other both in appearance and physiology and in the nature of behavior, therefore they have long been attributed to various species of the locust family.

Currently, scientists perceive both forms as one and the same species.

Single phase of insect development

A single locust has a larger size, rich light green body color, for which it received the nickname "Green filly". This phase of the locust is mostly harmless, as the insect leads a sedentary lifestyle, and has only one vital task: to maintain the insect population of its species. Therefore, as long as there is enough food and everything in the life of the locust develops safely, the filly lays eggs, giving birth to green fillies similar to itself. But as soon as there is not enough food (usually this happens in dry years), the locust begins to actively lay eggs, the DNA of which has a "camping" food search program, and the density of larvae begins to grow in arithmetic progression. Soon they begin the transition to the second (gregarious) phase of development.

gregarious phase of insect development

The gregarious phase of the locust is extremely dangerous. At this stage, the insect acquires a more saturated color, and the body undergoes metamorphosis. Imago becomes more adapted to a long flight, and thus the filly turns into a locust.

Adult insects of the gregarious phase, as they reproduce, begin to stray into dense flocks.

Scientists entomologists conducted a curious experiment, during which several mirrors were placed in front of a settled female green filly. Soon, constantly bumping into and conflicting with her reflections, the female began to lay eggs with a nomadic life programmed into them. As it turned out later, the green filly turns into a gregarious phase locust due to a banal lack of protein, which produces a female to dramatically increase the population of flying individuals.

In years with abundant food and moderate weather conditions without significant temperature fluctuations, single individuals do not cause much harm to plants; therefore, only the gregarious phase of birth and development of insects should be feared.

reproduction

With the onset of the first cold weather (usually in October), the locust dies, but before that it lays eggs for wintering, creating capsules or capsules (masonry) in which it places from fifty to one hundred eggs. The capsule is made from the gonads of the female and has the form of a foamy liquid, which, when hardened, becomes a reliable shield for the eggs, thanks to which they do not freeze out.

During the summer, one female gives birth to one to three generations of insects.

In the spring, when the earth warms up, white larvae appear from the eggs, which soon darken and begin to feed on vegetation. In about a month, sometimes a little more, the insect larva goes through five stages of development (ages) until it turns into an adult insect.

The mass reproduction of the gregarious phase locust is directly related to weather conditions. Trying to maintain the water and protein balance in the body, the flock must constantly eat, so they constantly move in search of fresh food.

The lack of protein turns some of the insects of the colony into predators and, thus, dividing the flock into two groups. One part, running away from fellows, is looking for food, being in constant search for new vegetation, and the other part at this time replenishes protein reserves, eating, including their relatives.

pest control

Agrotechnical measures

As a preventive measure against locusts (in those areas where there is a high probability of a massive invasion of harmful insects), it is necessary to carry out thorough and deep tillage (plowing) of the soil, which destroys egg capsules.

Chemical methods of struggle

It is possible to effectively protect plantings in the face of unprecedented voracity and mass character of locusts only with the use of chemical methods of plant protection.

With a mass concentration of locust larvae in one area, apply pesticides with a validity period of at least thirty days. For dressing and destroying insects, drugs such as Karate, Confidor, Image are taken, but it is possible to effectively use poisons to combat the Colorado potato beetle.

A good result is shown by the systemic drug Clotiamet VDG, which provides reliable protection against locusts for three weeks. This poison is good in that it can be effectively used in a tank mixture with other micronutrient fertilizers, plant protection products and plant growth stimulants, but it is necessary to first test for compatibility with other chemicals.

Effectively destroy locusts (both larvae and adult insects) such preparations as "Gladiator" and "Damilin". The insecticide "Damilin" has a negative effect on the larvae, slowing down their development and disrupting the timing of the formation of the chitinous shell of the body, as a result of which the insects die.

A big plus of the drug is its low toxicity.

locust- this is a large arthropod insect from the family of true locusts (Acrididae), included in the order Orthoptera, suborder short-whiskered. In ancient times, it was the main threat to crops of cultivated plants. The description of the locust is found in the Bible, the writings of ancient Egyptian authors, the Koran and treatises of the Middle Ages.

Locust - description of the insect

The locust has an elongated body from 5 to 20 cm long with hind legs bent at the “knees”, much larger than the middle and front legs. Two rigid elytra cover a pair of translucent wings, which are difficult to see when folded. Sometimes they are covered with various patterns. Locusts have shorter antennae than crickets or grasshoppers. The head is large, with large eyes. The sound of the locust is formed as follows: males have special notches located on the surface of the thighs, and special thickenings on the elytra. When rubbing them against each other, a specific chirring is heard, which has a different tone.

Locust color depends not on genes, but on the environment. Even individuals from the same offspring, grown in different conditions, will differ in color. In addition, the color of the protective covers of an insect depends on the phase of its development. For example, in a single stage of life, a male or female locust may have a bright green, yellow, gray or brown camouflage coloration and pronounced sex differences. Upon transition to the gregarious phase, the coloration becomes the same for all, and sexual dimorphism is leveled. Locusts fly very fast: when flying, a swarm of locusts can cover a distance of up to 120 km in one day.

What is the difference between a locust and a grasshopper?

The locust is an insect from the locust family, suborder of the short-whiskers, and the grasshoppers are part of the grasshopper family, the suborder of the long-whiskers.
The whiskers and legs of the locust are shorter than those of the grasshopper.
Grasshoppers are predators, and locusts are herbivores. Although sometimes during long flights locusts can eat a weakened individual of the same species.
Locusts are active during the day, while grasshoppers are active at night.
Locusts harm human agriculture unlike the harmless grasshoppers.
Locusts lay their eggs in the soil or leaves on the ground, while grasshoppers lay their eggs in plant stems or under the bark of trees.

Locust species, names and photos

(Dociostaurus maroccanus)

small insect, body length rarely exceeds 2 cm. The color of adults is reddish-brown, with small dark spots scattered along the body and an unusual light-colored cruciform pattern on the back. The hindquarters are pink or yellow on the thighs and red on the lower legs. Despite their miniature size, the Moroccan locust causes great damage to farmland and cultivated crops, gathering in numerous hordes and destroying absolutely everything that grows on the ground in its path. This species of locust lives in Africa, in Central Asia and Algeria, in sultry Egypt, in arid Libya and in Morocco. It is found in European countries, for example, in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and even the Balkans.

(Locusta migratoria)

a rather large insect: the body length of mature males is from 3.5 to 5 cm, in females it ranges from 4-6 cm. The color of the Asian locust varies in several colors: there are individuals of bright green, brownish, yellow-green or gray. The wings are almost colorless, except for a slightly pronounced smoky shade and the thinnest streaks of black. The hind thighs are dark brown or blue-black, the lower legs may be beige, reddish or yellow. The habitat of this species of locust covers the entire territory of Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, the countries of North Africa, the regions of North China and Korea. Also, the Asian locust lives in the south of Russia, is found in the Caucasus, in the highlands of Kazakhstan, in the south of Western Siberia.

(Schistocerca gregaria )

an insect with a fairly large size - females reach a value of 8 cm, males are slightly smaller - 6 cm in length. The coloration of the Desert Locust is dirty yellow, the wings are brown, with many veins. The hind limbs are bright yellow. This species of locust prefers to live in the tropics and subtropics: it is found in North Africa, on the Arabian Peninsula, on the territory of Hindustan and the border regions of the Sahara.

Italian Locust or Italian Prus (Calliptamus italicus)

The body of an adult locust of this species is medium in size: in males, the body length varies from 1.4 to 2.8 cm, females can reach 4 cm in length. The wings are powerful, strongly developed, with rare veins. The colors of individuals are multifaceted: brick red, brown, brown, sometimes pale pink tones predominate in color. Often, light longitudinal stripes and whitish spots are expressed on the main background. The hind wings and femurs of the hind limbs are pinkish, the tibiae are red or whitish, with transverse stripes of black or dark brown. The habitat of the Italian locust covers almost the entire Mediterranean zone and a significant part of Western Asia. The Italian Prussian lives in central Europe and in Western Siberia, lives in Altai, Iran and Afghanistan.

rainbow locust (Phymateus saxosus)

a species of locust that lives on the territory of the island of Madagascar. Incredibly bright in color and very poisonous, the rainbow locust reaches a size of 7 cm. The entire body of the insect shimmers with a variety of colors - from bright yellow to purple, blue and red, and is saturated with toxins. They are produced due to the fact that the locust feeds exclusively on poisonous plants. Usually, large populations of this species of locust are found in the foliage of trees or in thickets of milkweed, the juice of which is a favorite delicacy of the rainbow locust.

Siberian filly (Gomphocerus sibiricus)

brown-brown, olive or gray-green insect. The size of an adult female does not exceed 2.5 cm, males are rarely larger than 2.3 cm. The habitat is very wide: the Siberian filly lives in the highlands of Central Asia and the Caucasus, is found in Mongolia and northeast China, northern regions of Russia, in particular, in Siberia and in the north of Kazakhstan. The insect causes large-scale damage to crops of grain crops, pastures and haylands.

Egyptian filly (Anacridium aegyptium)

one of the largest locust species found in Europe. Females grow up to 6.5-7 cm in length, the sizes of males are somewhat more modest - 30-55 mm. The color of the insect can be gray, light brown or greenish-olive. The tibiae of the hindquarters are blue, while the femora are bright orange, with distinctive black markings. On the eyes of the Egyptian filly there are always pronounced black and white stripes. This species of locust lives in the Middle East, in European countries, in North Africa.

blue-winged filly (Oedipoda caerulescens)

medium-sized locusts: the length of an adult female is 2.2-2.8 cm, the male is slightly smaller - 1.5-2.1 cm in length. The filly's wings are very spectacular - bright blue at the base, becoming colorless towards the top. A beautiful pattern runs along the surface of the graceful wings, consisting of the finest radial black stripes. The lower legs of the hind limbs are bluish in color, covered with light spines. The blue-winged filly is widespread in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of Eurasia, lives in the Caucasus and Central Asia, is found in Western Siberia and in China.

Where do locusts live?

Representatives of these insects can be found on any continent of the globe, with the exception of Antarctica. Locust lives in almost all climatic zones, ranging from the tropics and subtropics, and ending with the expanses of Western Siberia.

Some species of locust prefer to settle in areas that are covered with dense grassy thickets near water bodies. Other species live in desert and semi-desert areas among stone placers overgrown with rare shrubs and grass.

Locust Invasion

What do locusts eat?

Solitary individuals living sedentary do not have a great appetite and eat moderately. One locust is able to eat only 300 g of plant food in its life. But as soon as she strays into flocks, her behavior changes radically. During a locust invasion, this voracious horde becomes omnivorous and eats everything that comes in its path. Any vegetation is used for food: reeds or reeds, grain crops or orchards, vineyards and thatched roofs of houses. During long flights, a swarm of locusts eats weakened individuals, thus compensating for the lack of liquid and food.

Locust: reproduction and developmental stages

There are 3 stages of locust development - egg, larva, adult. In areas with a tropical climate, locust breeding occurs year-round, and in places with a temperate climate, only in summer. In autumn, the female locust lays eggs in a protective capsule (pouch) in the fallen leaves of trees or directly into the soil. Up to 115 eggs can be in one bag, and the number of capsules per 1 m 2 sometimes exceeds 2000 pieces. After the clutch has been made, the parents die. Overwintered eggs burst, and locust larvae appear from them, resembling adults, but without wings. Locust development is proceeding at a rapid pace. In just 40 days, after going through several molts, the locust larva becomes an adult insect with wings and is already capable of producing offspring. In warm regions, development occurs in just 14-16 days and goes without a break for wintering.

Do they eat locusts?

In some countries, locusts are eaten and even harvested for future use. It is a dietary product with no fat and a high content of proteins and minerals.

A swarm of locusts can number up to several billion individuals and occupy an area in excess of 1000 km 2;
When the wings of the locust rub against each other, creaking sounds are produced. The noise effects created by a large flock are reminiscent of thunder peals.

Such a voracious insect as a locust has an enviable appetite and is able to leave behind fields with the remains of plants, bushes and trees eaten at the root without branches and bark, pitiful tails of former watermelons and pumpkins, bare vines of a once flowering vineyard. To make such devastating raids and grind everything in its path, you need to have a very powerful structure of the mouth apparatus.

The oral apparatus of the locust: structure and purpose

The pest has a gnawing mouth, that is, intended for grinding solid food. Such a structure is basic, and variations in the oral structure of other insect species already come from it. The locust family has a complete “ammunition load” in its mouth:

Upper lip.

Underlip.

Upper jaw.

Lower jaw.

The purpose of the upper lip is to determine the suitability of potential food. The jaws at the top move in a horizontal position, biting off part of the food and grinding it. The lower ones, due to their extraordinary mobility, push processed food into the esophagus. In addition to feeding, locusts also use their jaws to repel an enemy attack or an attack on a victim.

Can locusts bite

Many people know that locusts and grasshoppers look very similar in appearance. There are differences, of course, but they are not familiar to an ignorant person.. For example:

Grasshoppers are active at night, a related pest - during the day.

Grasshopper - the owner of a long mustache (for searching for food), locust - with short antennae (smaller than the head).

Knowing what devastation the locust swarm brings with it, the question naturally arises: since the pest easily rips off the bark from the trees and grinds rather thick branches, then it must be equipped with strong teeth? And this is where the most interesting lies. The grasshopper, which everyone thinks is a harmless and cute insect, is actually a predator. And he can inflict a very sensitive bite on a person, up to blood, while injecting a burning substance into the wound.

And the locust, which is known as a merciless robber and devourer of everything and everything, is by nature a vegetarian, and is not at all dangerous to humans. With one small correction: her jaws are really very powerful and she can sensitively pinch the skin. But only in self-defense. AT unlike a grasshopper, a locust will not attack a person and harm him. How can she not sting. Nature did not endow the pest with a sting either.

Photo

Nutrition and preferences of locusts

When an insect huddles into huge swarms of millions, then this herd destroys several tons of vegetation per day. And the mass eaten by one individual is equal to its own weight. In the course is everything that comes across on the way. Moreover, the older the locust, the messier its menu:

Thickets of reeds and reeds on the banks of reservoirs.

Any agricultural crops.

Cotton, linen fields.

Vegetable plantings.

Potato fields and sugar cane.

Gourds and orchards.

sunflower fields.

Forests, groves, bushes.

If the locust invasion passes through settlements, then local residents are easily left without thatched roofs, wooden fences, furniture, etc.

Video "Invasion of locusts on the village of Achikulak"

Locust is a rather large insect from the category of Orthoptera. For a long time, it has been the main threat to cultivated crops.

The description of locusts can be found in such ancient scriptures as the Bible, the works of the authors of ancient Egypt, the Koran, and so on.

Description of the insect

The body of the locust is elongated, the length can reach 20 centimeters. The "knees" of the hind legs are bent, their size is several times greater than the size of the middle and front paws.

There is a pair of rigid elytra, under which fragile wings with original patterns are located. When folded, they are quite difficult to see.

The antennae of the locust are somewhat shorter than, for example, those of crickets, and the head is larger, the eyes are larger. The insect makes a characteristic sound characteristic of males.

The surface of the thighs of males has small notches, and some thickenings can be seen on the thighs. During friction, these parts make a specific sound, which can be of any key.

Many believe that the color of the locust depends on its genotype. But actually it is not. The color of the insect has a direct relationship with environmental conditions.

Even individuals belonging to the same offspring, but living in different places, may differ in color.

Another factor that affects coloration is the phase of development. A younger individual is green in color, and an individual that has entered the gregarious phase acquires the traditional color.

Locusts have the ability to fly, they can travel up to 120 kilometers a day.

Difference between locust and grasshopper

The main difference between the grasshopper and the locust is that they belong to different families and suborders. In contrast to the locust, the grasshopper belongs to the suborder of long-whiskers.

The structure of the paws also differs. In locusts, they are shorter than in grasshoppers.

Despite their large size, locusts are herbivorous insects, while grasshoppers are predators.

Locusts are active during the daytime, while grasshoppers are active at night.

For agriculture, grasshoppers are harmless, and locusts often bring enormous harm and huge losses.

These insects also differ in the way they lay eggs. Locusts lay eggs in the soil, and grasshoppers use plant stems for their offspring or lay their eggs under the bark of trees.

Locust habitat

Locusts live on almost every continent, with the only exception being Antarctica. Many climatic zones are suitable for this insect.

Some species are characterized by living in grassy areas, others prefer to settle in close proximity to water, while others choose semi-deserts as their habitat.

Food

Those individuals who live apart do not differ in voracity. In a lifetime, one locust is able to absorb up to 300 grams of plants. However, when she enters the pack, her behavior changes dramatically.

The locust invasion causes great harm, because, having met with its relatives, the insect becomes omnivorous and begins to absorb everything it sees: reeds, reeds, fruits, crops, and so on.

Long flights and lack of food force locusts to feed on their weaker relatives.

Development and reproduction

Locusts go through three stages of development during their life. 1. Egg; 2. Larva; 3. Adult. The hotter the climate, the more often mating occurs, and, consequently, reproduction.

In autumn, eggs are laid, which are in a special bag that protects against damage. One such bag can hide more than 100 eggs.

After laying, the parents usually die. All winter the eggs are in the soil and ripen.

With the onset of spring, the young locusts hatch, but they do not yet look like an adult, they lack wings.

It takes 40 days and several molts for the locust to move to the next stage.

In one flock there can be more than one billion individuals, and the area that the flock occupies reaches 1000 square kilometers. Such a number of insects is capable of making a sound similar to thunder.

Currently, there are a huge number of locust species, photos of which you can see below.

Locust photo

Locusts, locusts - several species of insects of the true locust family, capable of forming large flocks (numbering up to hundreds of millions of individuals), migrating over considerable distances. A feature of locust biology is the presence of two phases - solitary and gregarious, differing in morphology and behavior.

Locusts in the distant past were the enemy of humanity No. 1, but modern people have heard little about it. Meanwhile, it is described in the ancient Egyptian papyri, the Bible, the Koran, the works of the Middle Ages, and the fiction of the 19th century. It's time to learn more about the insect, whose name in the past centuries served as the personification of a humanitarian catastrophe.

Habitat

Different types of locusts have adapted to life in certain regions. It appeared in Russia a long time ago, sometimes destroying entire fields. Most common in the southern regions.

It is found in Africa, has reached Europe, lives in the Sahara desert and the steppes of Kazakhstan. She is not afraid of the cold of Siberia, the humid climate of New Zealand. Warm steppes are more common habitats. Doesn't like the Arctic at all.

Description

Locust sizes vary from 3 to 7 cm. Females are larger than males. The body is oblong, rigid elytra and a pair of translucent wings are attached to it, which remain invisible when folded.

The color is very variable and depends on the age, conditions and lifestyle that the locust leads:

Even individuals hatched from the same oviposition may differ in coloration.
What a locust looks like is also predetermined by the phase of its development.
In the European strip, single individuals are predominantly yellow, brick, green, olive, brown in color, which helps to mask against the background of surrounding vegetation.
The older the individual, the darker its color becomes.
If the locust has joined the swarm, it acquires the same color scheme as that of the other members of the team.

The large head is not particularly mobile. Large crescent-shaped eyes and a rectangular, almost square muzzle of the locust give the insect a good-natured look. The gnawing mouth apparatus is represented by powerful jaws that help to gnaw through even the thickest and most durable stems. With the upper mandibles, the insect gnaws the leaves, and only then crushes them through the lower mandibles.

A distinctive feature of the locust from its closest relatives: crickets and grasshoppers - short whiskers, their length does not exceed half the calf.

The pinkish hind legs are well developed, which allows the locust to jump at a distance of 20 times its length. It is no coincidence that insects are endowed with jumping abilities. In the larval stage, they still do not know how to fly and their motor capabilities are limited to crawling and jumping. Some species do not have flight activity even in adulthood.

How long a locust lives depends on environmental conditions. Rainy seasons provoke the development of fungal diseases of plants, which leads to infection of the insect and its death. Natural enemies: wild wasps, beetles, birds can also shorten lifespan. Man also contributes by destroying pests. If the locust is in optimal conditions and has not become a victim of anyone, then it can live from 8 months to 2 years, depending on the species.

All species of locusts emit a characteristic "chirring". This peculiar “singing” of insects in many people evokes the image of a flowering meadow on a hot summer day. The sound apparatus of acridoids is located on the femurs of the hind legs and elytra. Tubercles stretch along the inner surface of the thigh, and one of the veins of the elytron is thicker than the others. Locusts make sounds by rapidly moving the thigh, while the tubercles touch the vein. Because the tubercles are uneven, the result is a staccato chirping sound. In most locust species, both males and females chirp.

What do locusts eat?

Locusts usually live on the leaves and flowers of green plants. They gnaw leaves with strong upper mandibles, and grind them with smaller and weaker lower mandibles.

Since the mandibles of the locust move from side to side, the insects usually sit in the center of the leaf, on its longitudinal axis, and gnaw the leaf from edge to edge. Only a few true locust species feed exclusively on grass. The food for most locust species is the leaves of perennial plants, shrubs and trees. Some locust species can even feed on poisonous plants that other insects and animals do not eat.

Concentrating in their body, the poison provides insects with protection from enemies, since they themselves become poisonous. Such locusts have a bright color that warns of their inedibility.

Life cycle and reproduction

Many are interested in where the green locust comes from in large quantities? The female is able to lay hundreds of eggs, which will produce many larvae. Its reproduction and residence are unusual, as are the stages of development of the locust, which is worth noting in the description.

When living alone, the green filly is inactive. She's practically harmless. In autumn, it lays eggs in a special depression in the soil. In winter, they are in the ground, and in spring young white individuals appear.

The filly larva needs food, so they begin to feed heavily. With rapid development, changes occur: they turn into adults, change color.

Anticipating a dry year, poor in food, changes occur in the reproduction of the female. The laid locust eggs are initially programmed to search for food in field conditions. Adult adults form flocks, larvae unite in numerous swarms.

Mating precedes the breeding stage. The male attracts females to his society by secreting a special hormone. As soon as the female approaches, he jumps on her back and clings tightly. A spermatophore is released at the base of the clutch. This is how locusts start breeding.

The insect goes through the mandatory stages of development. The female lays eggs, pre-preparing egg capsules. There are up to 100 eggs in one capsule. In winter, they do not freeze out, because the insect envelops them for safety with a special foamy liquid. In the spring, a larva emerges from each egg laid. Its development continues intensively. A month later, an imago-like individual is formed that does not have wings. In a month and a half, the emerging larvae transform 5 times until they turn into adult locusts. During the summer months, three generations of young can be produced.

The benefits and harms of locusts

The greatest damage is delivered by hordes of locusts, destroying fields and plantings. However, the average layman, who does not care about the safety of the crop, is more interested in the answer to the question of whether the locust bites. The insect eats exclusively plant food and it does not bite a person, unlike its fellow grasshopper.

An equally burning question is whether locusts are eaten. Orthoptera insects are the most consumed after ants. In African countries, it is fried, mixed into cakes. Arab women a few centuries ago could cook 2 dozen locust dishes. Culinary recipes have lost their relevance due to the lack of ingredients.

In California, during the locust invasions, whole feasts were held. The captured insects were soaked in marinade, then crushed and soups were prepared. The Japanese are marinated in soy sauce and fried. In a word, there are many recipes for cooking locusts, but not everyone can appreciate its taste, not so much because of inaccessibility, but because of disgust.

pest control

Agrotechnical measures

Chemical methods of struggle

It is possible to effectively protect plantings in the face of unprecedented voracity and mass character of locusts only with the use of chemical methods of plant protection.

The first chronicle mention of the invasion of locusts in Rus' refers to 1008, the result of which was a famine. The invasion was repeated in 1094, 1095, 1103 and 1195. Similar misfortunes were repeated in the XVI-XVII centuries. In 1824, the locust invasion was observed in the south of modern Ukraine, in the Kherson, Yekaterinoslav and Tauride provinces, and A. S. Pushkin was seconded to fight it. He wrote a short report:

The largest locust infestation in human history occurred in the United States in 1875. A swarm of locusts from the state of Texas spread westward, but after some time, having made tremendous devastation, disappeared as suddenly as it appeared.
Currently, vast areas of crops across the Earth are suffering from locust infestations, especially in Africa.
Locusts are found almost everywhere except in the coldest regions.
The body length of the locust ranges from 1 cm in the meadow locust to 6 cm in the migratory locust. The largest individuals can reach 20 cm in length.
Locusts differ from grasshoppers and crickets in the length of their antennae: they are shorter.
Every day, one individual of the locust eats an amount of plant food equal to its own weight.
There are swarms of locusts, numbering several billion individuals. They form "flying clouds" or "clouds", the area of which can reach 1000 km2.
When the wings of the locust rub against each other, a characteristic squeaky sound is heard. The noise made in flight by a flock of several million insects can be mistaken for thunder.
Sound extraction in locusts is carried out by rubbing the hind leg with special tubercles against the elytra.
Locusts live from 8 months to 2 years.

Locust species

Moroccan locust

The insect is small in size, the body length rarely exceeds 2 cm. The color of adults is reddish-brown, with small dark spots scattered along the body and an unusual light-colored cruciform pattern on the back. The hindquarters are pink or yellow on the thighs and red on the lower legs. Despite their miniature size, the Moroccan locust causes great damage to farmland and cultivated crops, gathering in numerous hordes and destroying absolutely everything that grows on the ground in its path. This species of locust lives in Africa, in Central Asia and Algeria, in sultry Egypt, in arid Libya and in Morocco. It is found in European countries, for example, in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and even the Balkans.

Migratory (Asian) Locust

A fairly large insect: the body length of mature males is from 3.5 to 5 cm, in females it ranges from 4-6 cm. The color of the Asian locust varies in several colors: there are individuals of bright green, brownish, yellow-green or gray. The wings are almost colorless, except for a slightly pronounced smoky shade and the thinnest streaks of black. The hind thighs are dark brown or blue-black, the lower legs may be beige, reddish or yellow. The habitat of this species of locust covers the entire territory of Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, the countries of North Africa, the regions of North China and Korea. Also, the Asian locust lives in the south of Russia, is found in the Caucasus, in the highlands of Kazakhstan, in the south of Western Siberia.

desert locust

An insect with a fairly large size - females reach a size of 8 cm, males are slightly smaller - 6 cm in length. The coloration of the Desert Locust is dirty yellow, the wings are brown, with many veins. The hind limbs are bright yellow. This species of locust prefers to live in the tropics and subtropics: it is found in North Africa, on the Arabian Peninsula, on the territory of Hindustan and the border regions of the Sahara.

Italian Locust or Italian Prus

rainbow locust

A species of locust that lives on the territory of the island of Madagascar. Incredibly bright in color and very poisonous, the rainbow locust reaches a size of 7 cm. The entire body of the insect shimmers with a variety of colors - from bright yellow to purple, blue and red, and is saturated with toxins. They are produced due to the fact that the locust feeds exclusively on poisonous plants. Usually, large populations of this species of locust are found in the foliage of trees or in thickets of milkweed, the juice of which is a favorite delicacy of the rainbow locust.

Siberian filly

Insect brown-brown, olive or gray-green. The size of an adult female does not exceed 2.5 cm, males are rarely larger than 2.3 cm. The habitat is very wide: the Siberian filly lives in the highlands of Central Asia and the Caucasus, is found in Mongolia and northeast China, northern regions of Russia, in particular, in Siberia and in the north of Kazakhstan. The insect causes large-scale damage to crops of grain crops, pastures and haylands.

Egyptian filly

One of the largest locust species found in Europe. Females grow up to 6.5-7 cm in length, the sizes of males are somewhat more modest - 30-55 mm. The color of the insect can be gray, light brown or greenish-olive. The tibiae of the hindquarters are blue, while the femora are bright orange, with distinctive black markings. On the eyes of the Egyptian filly there are always pronounced black and white stripes. This species of locust lives in the Middle East, in European countries, in North Africa.

blue-winged filly

Medium-sized locusts: the length of an adult female is 2.2-2.8 cm, the male is slightly smaller - 1.5-2.1 cm in length. The filly's wings are very spectacular - bright blue at the base, becoming colorless towards the top. A beautiful pattern runs along the surface of the graceful wings, consisting of the finest radial black stripes. The lower legs of the hind limbs are bluish in color, covered with light spines. The blue-winged filly is widespread in the steppe and forest-steppe regions of Eurasia, lives in the Caucasus and Central Asia, is found in Western Siberia and in China.