A locust bites a man. Let's find out what the locust eats: a description of the oral apparatus, whether it bites and whether it has teeth at all. Life cycle and reproduction
Ecology
Our planet is home to a great variety of living creatures that are dangerous to humans, and they do not necessarily have to be large in size. Insects can cause a lot of harm. Throughout history, insects have played important role, they were mentioned in the Bible, they were found in the burial places of the ancient Egyptians. They also appear in abundance literary works. However, insects do not particularly attract the attention of most of us, and some are even afraid of them, which is quite reasonable, given the not so pleasant characteristics of these creatures. There are very safe insects, but today we'll talk about those who pose a particular threat and from whom it is better to stay away.
1) Triatomine bugs
Insect order Hemiptera includes a large number of different bugs. Most species have distinctive suction mouthparts that resemble tubes. Most of them actually feed on plant sap, but there are also special species of the subfamily Triatomine bugs who are not averse to feasting on the blood of large animals. These insects carry dangerous disease - Chagas disease, which, fortunately, is found only in tropical areas of South America.
Symptoms of Chagas disease can vary depending on the time period after infection. At first it may be just a slight swelling, but as the disease progresses, more serious symptoms appear, such as heart problems and organ malformations. The disease can progress up to 12 years! If the patient is not treated from the very beginning of infection, the chronic disease leads to death. There are no effective treatments for this advanced stage of the disease, but medications can reduce the likelihood of death.
2) Giant Asian hornets
This insect can reach a length of up to 7.5 centimeters. 20-30 of these “animals” can devastate an entire hive of ordinary bees. The bite of such a hornet can kill, and not only because the poison causes an allergic reaction, but because it contains a huge amount of toxins. The venom contains the highest concentration of pain-inducing chemical substance acetylcholine, compared to the venom of any other stinging insects. The enzyme in this poison is capable of dissolving human tissue. Like all other hornets, this insect can sting several times.
3) African Siafu ants
One colony of these ants, which consists of 20 million individuals, can devastate an entire African village, destroying everything in its path. When there is not enough food, the siafu colony begins to eat everything they can find in order to somehow survive. The ants can kill animals and humans and cause thousands of dollars in damage each year as they destroy Africa's valuable food supply.
4) Wasps
5) Locust
Although locusts cannot directly kill humans, swarms of these insects devastate entire fields of crops. Locusts are mentioned in the Bible when God sent swarms of locusts to attack Egyptian crops so that Pharaoh would allow Moses to leave Egypt. Locusts destroy thousands of hectares of crops every year and in a very short time, since one swarm can include several thousand individuals. Thus, locusts lead to the fact that a person is left without food and may die of hunger.
6) Fire ants
Nesting usually in sand or soil, fire ants build fairly high anthills, feed mainly on plant foods, sometimes crickets and small insects. If disturbed, they can sting painfully, and their bite is similar to the sensation of a burn, hence the name. Small bites of one or two ants can be easily and quickly cured, but if you are attacked by a whole family of angry ants, expect trouble. These ants are reported to kill up to 150 people every day and also damage crops.
7) Tsetse flies
The causative agent of dangerous sleeping sickness, the tsetse fly, feeds on the blood of vertebrates and humans. She suffers from diseases such as trypanosomiasis. It lives exclusively in Africa, in tropical and subtropical regions and kills 250-300 people annually.
8) Bees
Some types of bees are not as harmless as they might seem. For example, the African bee and its hybrids, which appeared in America as invasive species, are quite aggressive and have caused a lot of damage over the past 50 years. Regular bees are known not to take up arms unless necessary, and they die after being stung. A bee sting itself is not fatal, but it can cause allergic reactions and anaphylactic shock, which leads to death. Unlike ordinary bees, killer bees can attack even in the case of the slightest provocation, and attack the victim in a whole swarm. These bees kill people and livestock.
9) Fleas
If you have cats or dogs at home, you know very well what fleas are, and you also know that they can bite not only pets, but also their owners. Fleas spread bubonic plague, which can be transferred from rats to humans. This disease is caused by bacteria Yersinia pestis. Fleas feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals and reproduce at tremendous speed. Flea bites can cause allergic reactions.
10) Malaria mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are terrible irritants because they suck blood and can drive a person crazy under certain conditions. They lay their eggs near stagnant bodies of water, and from one clutch millions of individuals are born. However, the biggest problem is that mosquitoes can carry dangerous diseases, for example, malaria. Every year thousands of people die from this disease, these mosquitoes are the most deadly dangerous insects planets.
Our Earth is full of a wide variety of living creatures, among which you can find such insects as locusts (pictured). This insect looks like a grasshopper, but is somewhat different from it appearance and physiological characteristics. Even in ancient times, locusts were a threat to crops. So it is today - locusts are dangerous for many plants.
You can meet locusts in all countries of the world. The only exception is the northern territories. The insect is very unique - while the locust lives alone without its fellows, it is extremely harmless, but as soon as the locust discovers its own kind... Together they can cause enormous damage to Agriculture.
Description
The body of the locust has an oblong shape. Its length on average reaches 5-7 cm, although the largest species can be about 20 cm. In this case, female individuals are larger.
Two hard elytra are attached to the body, which hide two small transparent wings. The hind legs of the locust are longer than the front and middle ones. Thanks to them, the locust is able to jump a distance that is 20 times the length of its body.
The locust's head is quite large. The muzzle has the shape of a rectangle or almost a square, on which there are rather large eyes. This structure of the muzzle gives it a kind appearance. The oral cavity has very powerful jaws, thanks to which the insect is able to gnaw through the thickest stem.
Interesting to know: Some types of insects differ from others in their ability to fly.
The color of locusts depends on a number of factors:
- Even close relatives can have a variety of body colors;
- With age, the color becomes darker;
- Single individuals usually have a yellowish, brick, green or brown color;
- Once a locust becomes a member of a swarm, it takes on the same coloration as the rest of the swarm.
The lifespan of an insect depends on weather conditions, as well as on the activities of the insect's main enemies, as well as human activities.
Thus, rains lead to the fact that plant crops are affected by the fungus, which in turn leads to infection and death of locusts. Birds, bugs and other enemies can destroy the insect. And also, in the course of fighting a pest, a person destroys it. If the locust has not become a victim of diseases or enemies, then it can live up to 2 years.
Habitat and diet
Locusts prefer plant foods. Moreover, it doesn’t matter to her at all whether it grows wild or is grown by humans. She eats everything she comes across - leaves, stems of any bushes, trees. Rare species prefer to feed on herbaceous crops.
During its life, an insect eats an average of about 300 grams plant food. And in a day the amount of food eaten exceeds her body weight twice.
During invasions, the volume of food eaten increases several times. During periods of long flights, individuals can eat each other.
Note: some species prefer to feed on poisonous crops. As a result, the locusts themselves become poisonous and dangerous. Its changing color warns about this - it becomes somewhat brighter.
Locusts are ubiquitous. Individuals can be found on all continents, with the exception of Antarctica, as well as other northern regions. Some species prefer to settle in areas covered with dense vegetation or near bodies of water, while others prefer desert areas.
Are locusts dangerous?
Single locusts are not dangerous. The locust is very shy and leads an inactive lifestyle, eating rare plants and leaves of bushes.
As soon as individuals gather in swarms, locusts become extremely dangerous to vegetation. On its way, it devours absolutely everything, even reeds and thatched roofs.
Interesting fact: In 2015, during a locust invasion in Russia, an area comparable in size to Romania was destroyed.
According to witnesses, locusts only pass by stones and iron objects. Whole people can be destroyed orchards, vegetable and grain plantations.
Varieties
Rainbow Locust
There is a fairly wide variety of species in the genus. Among them, the following should be highlighted:
- Desert migratory- This is one of the largest species of insect. The body length of a female individual can exceed 8 cm. It differs in that it can fly. Color - from yellow to dark brown. distribution environment - the Sahara desert or Hindustan. The variety lives for a long time - no more than 2 months;
- Asian migratory- another variety of locust that has the ability to fly. Body color is brown, yellowish or has a slight green tint. It lives mainly in Asia, but can also be found in areas of Siberia;
- Rainbow- an unusual species of insect. The rainbow locust lives on the island of Madagascar. It has an incredibly bright body color. This species is very poisonous, which is caused by feeding on toxic plant crops;
- Egyptian- one of the largest varieties. Some sources claim that the body size of individuals of this species can reach 20 cm. It lives in Europe and North Africa.
Fighting methods
There are several methods to combat locusts:
- Mechanical (destruction of individuals, for example, by crushing);
- Agrotechnical (harrowing, peeling);
- Chemical (treatment with pesticides).
Only the third method is the most effective, which will help destroy large concentrations of insects. However, it is recommended to carry out the treatment at the phase when the locust is in the larval stage, since chemicals are not scary for adults.
How is it different from a grasshopper?
There are several differences between locusts and grasshoppers:
- The locust's body is longer and narrower than that of the grasshopper;
- The grasshopper's antennae are somewhat longer;
- The locust eats plant foods, and the grasshopper is a predatory insect;
- Grasshoppers are active at night, locusts - during the day;
- Grasshoppers are absolutely harmless to agriculture.
The locust is a rather large and dangerous insect. Danger occurs when individuals gather in flocks. It is extremely difficult to fight them. It is known that locust invasions can destroy huge areas of crops and plantations.
The following video will tell you how to distinguish a grasshopper from a locust in order to start fighting it in time:
Locusts in Orsk. Lenin Avenue. 07/13/2013
City residents Orsk This is already the second day from our new neighbor - the locusts. These insects have practically filled the city streets; some specimens climb onto the walls of buildings from the sunny side and try to get into apartments. About the dangers and benefits of locusts, measures to combat them and cooking recipes - in the material Ural56.Ru.
Egyptian execution
Locusts have long been considered one of the most unpleasant insects. Its devastating invasions were described in ancient texts. For example, locusts are called one of the Seven Plagues of Egypt. According to legend, she flew to Egypt from the east and covered the ground with a continuous layer, destroying all vegetation.
Clouds of locusts devastating everything in their path
About the danger of locusts
It is believed that locusts are not dangerous to humans. In order to prevent it from entering homes, it is recommended to close windows if they do not have mosquito nets.
These insects pose a potential threat only to vegetation. Locust - dangerous pest agricultural crops. These voracious insects are capable of destroying crops and plantings on hundreds and thousands of hectares.
A state of emergency has been introduced in the Orenburg region
IN Orenburg region locust invasion has been observed since 2009. IN 2013 was introduced in the region at the end of April. IN Orsk he started to act 22nd of May. The regional government and city administration have repeatedly reported on the amount of agricultural land treated from these pests. Joined the fight against insects Orthodox Church: in the fields of the region and in churches were held repeatedly.
Apparently, these measures were insufficient.
Meeting at the border
June 10th governor Yuri Berg, head of Orsk Victor Franz held a meeting with the head of the neighboring Aktobe region(Republic of Kazakhstan), reports the administration’s press service. The topic of the meeting was joint efforts in the fight against locust pests. It was noted that the situation along the border with the Aktobe region is quite complex. This is the longest common border large areas empty land on the Kazakh side, insufficient coverage of affected areas with pesticides last year. According to experts, the areas affected by locust pests in our regions are significantly larger than last year’s figures.
And there are benefits from locusts
Entomophagologists(researchers of the nutritional potential of insects) mostly agree that Orthoptera (grasshoppers, locusts) are the most popular edible insects after ants, reports the AgroXXI website.
The history of eating locusts goes back to ancient times. Pliny the Elder, writes that the Parthians willingly ate locusts, and the ancient Greek historian Herodotus describes the practice adopted by the Nazamons (Libyans from the coast Mediterranean Sea) a method of baking pies from flour mixed with crushed locusts. For thousands of years, locusts have been cooked in a variety of ways. Crimea, Arabia, Persia, India, Africa and on Madagascar. They simply fried it, tearing off the legs and wings, boiled it until it was red, which made the insects look like miniature lobsters, prepared curry from them, and used many other recipes in accordance with local tastes and traditions. According to Leviticus(11:22), four types of insects were considered acceptable in the diet of the ancient Israelites: “...of these you shall eat: the locust with its kind, the solam (type of locust) with its kind, the hargol (beetle) with its kind, and the hagab (grasshopper) ) with her breed." IN Gospels from Matthew(3.4) it is said that John the Baptist in the desert he ate locusts and wild honey in the desert. Acrids are known to be several species of true locusts, common in the Middle East and North Africa .
Locusts were used as food on all continents.
During the locust summer periods the Indians California They organized real feasts. Locusts were soaked in salt water and cooked in clay ovens, after which they were either eaten or pounded for later inclusion in soups. Their descendants do the same today. IN Africa locusts are eaten raw, fried on stones and an open fire, boiled in salt water and dried in the sun, as jellied, pressed into a paste, boiled like shrimp and served with couscous. In many areas Asia Locusts have been a common food item for thousands of years and can now be purchased inexpensively from street vendors from Bombay before Bangkok And Beijing, usually fried in oil. IN Japan locusts are marinated in soy sauce and fried in a small amount of vegetable oil.
IN Asia Locusts are often eaten as a snack rather than as part of complex dishes or as a separate course in a larger meal. The taste of the crispy shell and legs of the locust is the same as that of any other product fried in oil, and the core is soft, buttery, and sweetish in taste. They say that locusts fried in vegetable oil and salted are an excellent snack for beer. On Taiwan Locusts are considered a delicacy; they are sold in bazaars and are on the menu of many restaurants.
Food market, Taiwan
Locusts are a nutritious product, one might even say dietary. It contains up to 50% protein (this is 3 times more than, for example, beef), calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins B2 and niacin (nicotinic acid - vitamin PP), and the fat content is low (no more than 5%).
How to cook locusts?
Here are some recipes.
You can simply fry the locusts in a hot frying pan in olive or peanut oil, removing the legs and wings and sprinkling with salt. Before this, the locusts can be boiled for 20-40 minutes.
You can make a pate. To do this, you need to fry the insects in oil until crunchy (the wings and legs do not need to be torn off), crush the locusts in a mortar with the addition of butter and nuts (peanuts, cashews, walnuts) until you obtain the consistency of peanut butter for sandwiches. Another option is to dry the insects in the sun and crush them together with the nuts, adding oil little by little. Store the pate in a jar and consume it by spreading it on bread or crackers.
A dish of the ancient Greeks and Romans: sweet locusts soaked in honey.
Some chefs believe that locusts must be cooked alive, otherwise they will taste bitter.
Gourmets compare the taste of locust dishes with boiled crayfish or roasted chestnuts.
And one more interesting note: non-strict vegetarians believe that eating locusts and other insects does not violate vegetarian canons, since insects are neither meat nor fish.
The locust is a fairly large insect from the class of Orthoptera. For a long time, it has represented the main threat to cultivated crops.
Descriptions of locusts can be found in such ancient writings as the Bible, the works of ancient egypt, 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 larger than the size of the middle and front legs.
There are a pair of hard wing covers, under which are fragile wings with original patterns. When folded, they are quite difficult to notice.
The antennae of locusts are somewhat shorter than, for example, those of crickets, and the head is larger and the eyes are larger. The insect makes a characteristic sound characteristic of males.
The surface of the males' thighs is slightly jagged, and some thickening can be seen on the thighs. During friction, these parts emit a specific sound, which can be of any tone.
Many people believe that the color of a locust depends on its genotype. But actually it is not. The color of an insect has a direct relationship with the conditions environment.
Even individuals belonging to the same offspring, but living in different places, can differ in color.
Another factor influencing coloration is the developmental phase. 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 per day.
The difference between a locust and a grasshopper
The main difference between grasshoppers and locusts is that they belong to different families and suborders. Unlike locusts, the grasshopper belongs to the long-whiskered suborder.
The structure of the paws also differs. The locust's are shorter than the grasshopper's.
Despite their big sizes, locusts are herbivorous insects, while grasshoppers are predators.
Locusts are active during the day, while grasshoppers are active at night.
For agriculture, grasshoppers are harmless, but locusts often cause colossal 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 eggs under the bark of trees.
Locust habitat
Locusts live on almost every continent, with the only exception being Antarctica. Many climate zones are suitable for this insect.
Some species typically live in grassy areas, others prefer to settle in close proximity to water, while others choose semi-deserts as their habitat.
Nutrition
Those individuals that live separately are not known for their gluttony. Over the course of its entire life, one locust can consume up to 300 grams of plants. However, when she gets into a pack, her behavior changes dramatically.
A locust invasion causes enormous harm, since, having met its relatives, the insect becomes omnivorous and begins to absorb everything it sees: reeds, reeds, fruits, grain crops, and so on.
Long flights and lack of food force the locusts to feed on their weaker relatives.
Development and reproduction
During their life, locusts go through three stages of development. 1. Egg; 2. Larva; 3. Adult. The hotter the climate, the more often mating occurs, and, consequently, reproduction.
IN autumn period Eggs are laid, which are kept in a special pouch that protects them from damage. One such pouch can hide more than 100 eggs.
After laying eggs, the parents usually die. The eggs remain in the soil all winter and mature.
With the onset of spring, the baby locusts hatch, but they do not yet look like adults; they do not have wings.
It takes 40 days and several molts for locusts to move to the next stage.
One flock can contain more than one billion individuals, and the area that the flock occupies reaches 1000 square kilometers. Such a number of insects can produce a sound similar to thunder.
Currently, there are a huge number of locust species, photos of which you can see below.
Photo of locusts
Locusts and locusts are several species of insects of the true locust family, capable of forming large swarms (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 behavioral characteristics.
In the distant past, locusts were humanity's enemy No. 1, but modern people have heard little about them. Meanwhile, it is described in ancient Egyptian papyri, the Bible, the Koran, the works of the Middle Ages, fiction XIX century. It's time to learn more about the insect, whose name in 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, and lives in the Sahara Desert and the steppes of Kazakhstan. She is not afraid of the cold of Siberia or the humid climate of New Zealand. Habitats are often warm steppes. 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, attached to it are rigid elytra and a pair of translucent wings, which remain invisible when folded.
The color is very variable and depends on the age, conditions and lifestyle that the locust leads:
- Even individuals emerging from the same oviposition may differ in coloration.
- What a locust looks like is also determined by the phase of its development.
- In the European zone, single individuals are predominantly yellow, brick, green, olive, brown in color, which helps to camouflage against the background of the surrounding vegetation.
- The older the individual, the darker its color becomes.
- If the locust joins the swarm, it acquires the same color as the rest of the team members.
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 appearance. The gnawing mouthparts are represented by powerful jaws that help gnaw through even the thickest and most durable stems. The insect gnaws leaves with its upper mandibles, and only then crushes them using its lower mandibles.
A distinctive feature of locusts from their closest relatives: crickets and grasshoppers is their short whiskers, their length does not exceed half the body.
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 cannot fly and their motor capabilities are limited to crawling and jumping. Selected species They do not have flight activity even as adults.
How long locusts live depends on environmental conditions. Rainy seasons provoke the development of fungal plant diseases, which leads to insect infection and death. Natural enemies: wild wasps, beetles, birds can also shorten life expectancy. Humans also make their contribution by destroying pests. If the locusts are in optimal conditions and did not become anyone’s victim, then it can live from 8 months to 2 years, depending on the species.
All types of locusts produce a characteristic “chirping” sound. This peculiar “singing” of insects brings to mind for many people the image of a flowering meadow on a hot summer day. The sound apparatus of locusts is located on the thighs of the hind legs and elytra. Along inner surface the thighs have tubercles, and one of the veins of the elytra is thicker than the others. Locusts make sounds by quickly moving their hips, with the tubercles touching 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 leaves and flowers green plants. They use their strong upper mandibles to gnaw leaves, and use their smaller, weaker mandibles to crush them.
Since the locusts' mandibles 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 species of true locusts feed exclusively on grass. Leaves serve as food for most locust species. perennial plants, bushes and trees. Some species of locusts can even feed 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. These locusts have bright colors, which warns of their inedibility.
Life cycle and reproduction
Many people are interested in where green locusts come from in huge numbers? The female is capable of laying 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. It's practically harmless. In autumn it lays eggs in a special hole in the soil. During the winter they remain in the ground, and in the spring young white individuals appear.
The filly larva needs food, so they begin to feed heavily. With rapid development, changes occur: they turn into imagoes, change color.
Anticipating a dry year, poor in food, changes occur in the female’s reproduction. Locust eggs are initially programmed to search for food in hiking conditions. Adult adults form flocks, while larvae form numerous swarms.
Mating precedes the reproductive stage. The male attracts females into 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 into the base of the clutch. This is how the locusts begin breeding.
An insect goes through mandatory stages of development. The female lays eggs, first preparing the egg capsules. There are up to 100 eggs in one capsule. In winter they do not freeze out because the insect envelops them with a special foamy liquid for preservation. In the spring, a larva emerges from each egg laid. Its development continues intensively. After a month, an imago-like individual without wings is formed. Over the course of 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 animals can be produced.
The benefits and harms of locusts
The greatest damage is caused by swarms of locusts that destroy fields and plantings. However, the average person, who does not care about the safety of the crop, is more interested in the answer to the question of whether locusts bite. The insect eats exclusively plant food and does not bite humans, unlike its fellow grasshopper.
An equally pressing question is whether locusts are eaten. Orthoptera are the most commonly consumed insects after ants. In African countries they fry it and mix it into flat cakes. Arab women several centuries ago could prepare 2 dozen dishes from locusts. Cooking recipes have lost their relevance due to a shortage of ingredients.
In California, during locust outbreaks, entire feasts were held. The captured insects were soaked in a marinade, then crushed and prepared into soups. The Japanese marinate it in soy sauce and fry it. In short, 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
As a preventative 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 cultivation (ploughing) of the soil, which destroys capsules with eggs.
Chemical methods of control
Effectively protecting plantings in the face of unprecedented gluttony and mass numbers of locusts is possible only with the use of chemical methods plant protection.
If there is a mass concentration of locust larvae in one area, use pesticides with a validity period of at least thirty days. To treat and kill insects, they take such preparations as “Karate”, “Confidor”, “Image”, but it is possible efficient 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 because it can be effectively used in a tank mixture with other microfertilizers, protective agents and plant growth stimulants, but it is necessary to first test for compatibility with other chemicals.
Preparations such as “Gladiator” and “Damilin” effectively destroy locusts (both larvae and adult insects). The insecticide "Damilin" has negative impact on larvae, slowing down their development and disrupting the timing of the formation of the chitinous body shell, as a result of which the insects die. The big advantage of the drug is its low toxicity.
- The first chronicle mention of a locust invasion of Rus' dates back to 1008, which resulted in famine. The invasion was repeated in 1094, 1095, 1103 and 1195. Similar misfortunes were repeated in the 16th–17th centuries. In 1824, an invasion of locusts was observed in the south of modern Ukraine, in the Kherson, Yekaterinoslav and Tauride provinces, and A. S. Pushkin was sent to fight it. He wrote a short report:
- The largest locust invasion in human history occurred in the United States in 1875. A swarm of locusts from the state of Texas spread to the west, but after some time, having caused colossal 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 areas.
- 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 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 km 2.
- When the locust's wings rub against each other, a characteristic creaking sound is heard. The noise produced by a flock of several million insects in flight can be mistaken for thunder.
- Sound production in locusts is carried out by rubbing the hind leg with special tubercles on the elytra.
- Locusts live from 8 months to 2 years.
Types of locusts
Moroccan locust
Insect small size, body length rarely exceeds 2 cm. The color of adult individuals is reddish-brown, with small dark spots scattered over the body and an unusual light-colored cross-shaped 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 enormous damage to farmland and crops cultivated plants, gathering in numerous hordes and destroying in their path absolutely everything that grows on the earth. Lives this type locusts in Africa, Central Asia and Algeria, sultry Egypt, arid Libya and Morocco. It is found in European countries, for example, in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and even in the Balkans.
Migratory (Asian) locust
Quite a 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 several color solutions: there are individuals of bright green, brownish, yellow-green or gray. The wings are almost colorless, except for a slightly pronounced smoky tint and the finest black veins. The thighs of the hind legs are dark brown or blue-black, the lower legs may be beige, reddish or yellow. The habitat of this type of locust covers the entire territory of Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, the countries of North Africa, the region of Northern China and Korea. Also, the Asian locust lives in the south of Russia, is found in the Caucasus, in the mountains of Kazakhstan, in the south Western Siberia.
Desert Locust
Insect with enough large sizes– females reach a size of 8 cm, males are slightly smaller – 6 cm in length. The color of the desert locust is dirty yellow, the wings are brown, with many veins. The hind limbs are bright yellow. This type of locust prefers to live in the tropics and subtropics: it is found in North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, the territory of Hindustan and the border regions of the Sahara.
Italian locust or Prus Italianus
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, highly developed, with sparse veins. The colors of individuals are multifaceted: brick-red, brown, brown, sometimes pale pink tones predominate in the color. Light longitudinal stripes and whitish spots are often visible on the main background. The hind wings and thighs of the hind limbs are pinkish, the lower legs 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. Italian Pruss lives in central Europe and in Western Siberia, lives in Altai, Iran and Afghanistan.
Rainbow Locust
A species of locust that lives on 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 the most different colors– from bright yellow to purple, blue and red, and saturated with toxins. They are produced due to the fact that locusts feed exclusively on poisonous plants. Typically, 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
The insect is brown-brown, olive or gray-green in color. 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 mountainous areas of Central Asia and the Caucasus, is found in Mongolia and northeast China, and feels comfortable in northern regions of Russia, in particular in Siberia and northern Kazakhstan. The insect causes widespread damage to grain crops, pastures and hayfields.
Egyptian filly
One of the largest locust species found in Europe. Females grow up to 6.5-7 cm in length, males are somewhat more modest in size - 30-55 mm. The color of the insect can be gray, light brown or greenish-olive. Hind legs of blue color, and the thighs are bright orange, with distinctive black markings. The eyes of the Egyptian filly always have pronounced black and white stripes. This type of locust lives in the Middle East, in European countries, in North Africa.
Blue-winged filly
Locusts are medium-sized: 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. On the surface of the graceful wings there is a beautiful pattern consisting of the thinnest radial stripes of black color. The tibiae of the hind limbs are bluish in color and 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, and is found in Western Siberia and China.
