Desert locust
species of insect / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) is a species of locust. Plagues of desert locusts threaten agricultural production in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. They have done so for centuries. The livelihood of one-tenth of the world’s human population may be affected by this voracious insect. The destructive swarms of locusts do not form every year, but only when conditions are right for them.
Desert locust | |
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A migratory phase adult laying eggs | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Orthoptera |
Suborder: | Caelifera |
Family: | Acrididae |
Subfamily: | Cyrtacanthacridinae |
Tribe: | Cyrtacanthacridini |
Genus: | Schistocerca |
Species: | S. gregaria |
Binomial name | |
Schistocerca gregaria Forsskål, 1775 | |
Synonyms | |
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The desert locust is potentially the most dangerous of the locust pests because of the ability of swarms to fly rapidly across great distances. It has two to five generations per year. The last major desert locust upsurge in 2004–05 caused crop loss in West Africa and reduced food supply in the area. The desert locust alone is not responsible for famines, but it is a contributing factor.