Known as the “mower,” grasshoppers are among the most common groups of insects in the world, presenting significant challenges in ensuring food security.
“Mowers” Have Existed Since Before the Dinosaurs
Grasshoppers are one of the most prevalent groups of insects worldwide. They can be found in various habitats, from grasslands and tropical rainforests to isolated mountain ranges and even sandy deserts.
Grasshoppers cover green trees in Lang Son (Photo: D.K.).
These creatures belong to the ancient herbivorous insect family known as Acrididae. They first appeared during the Triassic period, around 250 million years ago. Thus, grasshoppers existed even before dinosaurs walked the Earth (approximately 230 million years ago).
Currently, there are about 10,000 species of grasshoppers in the world. The golden-banded bamboo locust found in Lang Son is a gregarious species that causes significant destruction to crops and plants, making them difficult to control. Their favorite foods include corn, bamboo, and rice.
In general, grasshoppers can be easily found in Africa and Asia, largely due to their presence in tropical rainforest regions. However, scientific studies indicate that the ancestors of grasshoppers actually originated from South America.
About 57 million years ago, grasshoppers began their journey across the Atlantic Ocean towards Africa, and then quickly spread to Europe and Asia, reaching a global scale.
Calculations show that a single grasshopper can consume plant material equal to half its body weight each day.
The ancestors of grasshoppers originated from South America (Photo: Getty).
Globally, grasshoppers are estimated to cause billions of dollars in damage to agricultural crops each year. In the United States alone, grasshoppers cause around $1.5 billion in damage annually.
How Are Humans Coping with the “Grasshopper Pandemic”?
Grasshoppers are known as harmful insects to farmers and crops; however, with their numbers spiraling out of control, they remain a significant problem for countries reliant on agriculture.
According to National Geographic, grasshoppers are characterized by their ability to move from one area to another in massive swarms, potentially numbering in the millions or even billions.
These swarms can travel over land or across oceans, consuming all types of crops and vegetation, leading to the destruction of entire ecosystems and the loss of food sources.
The term “grasshopper pandemic” originates from this phenomenon. The danger of a grasshopper pandemic is that it can lead to widespread famine, followed by disease outbreaks. Countries in Africa have historically been the hardest hit by severe grasshopper pandemics.
A swarm of desert locusts flies over a farm near Nanyuki, Laikipia County, Kenya (Photo: Reuters).
In some countries like Pakistan, military forces including infantry and aircraft have even been mobilized to conduct “surveys” of grasshopper populations in at-risk areas and carry out pesticide spraying.
In Kenya, a regenerative agriculture company has found a solution to turn the grasshopper pandemic into an opportunity for agricultural development.
They encourage residents to catch grasshoppers by providing collection tools and offering 50 Kenyan shillings (approximately $0.46) for each kilogram of grasshoppers, which are then processed into flour.
This flour is subsequently used in a production line to create animal feed and organic fertilizer beneficial for farms.
This initiative is considered effective for residential areas that cannot spray insecticides while still contributing to food security.
