This creature is believed to impact the lives of 1 in 10 people on the planet.
The Tiny Creature Causing Terror Among People
Desert locust (scientific name: Schistocerca gregaria) is a species of locust belonging to the suborder Caelifera, known for its destructive impact on agriculture in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia for many centuries.
Adult desert locusts are light yellow or light brown.
Adult desert locusts are light yellow or light brown, with numerous brown spots on their wings, and they measure between 4.5 to 6.0 mm in body length. Desert locust eggs are laid in clusters, with the eggs being non-curved, brownish-yellow, and measuring 0.7 – 0.8 cm in length. Typically, desert locusts lay their eggs in moist sandy soil at a depth of about 5 – 10 cm below the surface, with an average female laying only 2-4 egg clusters, each containing between 100 – 160 eggs, and the clusters themselves measure approximately 5 – 8.5 cm long.
The lifespan of desert locusts is usually 5-6 years. Newly hatched locusts are white but turn dark green within 1 – 2 hours. By the fourth age stage, they change to brown or straw yellow with large black spots on their bodies. The nymphs resemble adult locusts but are paler, lack wings, and do not yet have reproductive organs.
Desert locust swarms can be massive, often consisting of hundreds of millions, and sometimes billions, of locusts, with large swarms stretching up to 7-8 km. According to some studies, desert locusts can move between 120-150 km per day.
Conditions for Desert Locusts to Thrive
The favorable conditions for this species to outbreak include moist sandy soil and sandy loam. Crops entering the planting season also accelerate the reproduction of desert locusts. Additionally, unseasonal rains have contributed to the early arrival of desert locust swarms by 1 to 2 months.
Changing weather and climate conditions accelerate locust outbreaks. (Photo: AFP/Getty).
Mehari Tesfayohannes, head of the forecasting information department at the East African Desert Locust Control Organization, shared: “Although I have experienced many locust plagues, this year is exceptionally unusual in their reproduction. It is likely that the recent abnormal weather and climate conditions have created the perfect environment for the explosion of this aggressive insect.
Especially since they have invaded at the most challenging times for many impoverished countries, conflicts, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, a humanitarian crisis could occur at any moment.”
Heat map depicting the desert locust situation in Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia in May 2020. (Graphic: FAO)
Why are locusts multiplying so rapidly? Research indicates that some species of locusts can completely adapt to different natural conditions. Out of about 7,000 species, only around 20 species are recognized globally across all continents except Antarctica.
The species that has been forming swarms recently in Africa and Asia is the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), which previously lived a solitary life but has exploded in numbers under ideal environmental conditions.
Evidence from long-term studies shows that this species has unexpectedly changed its old habits and begun to move and act in swarms rather than individually as before.
Desert locusts can change shape and color according to weather and climate. (Photo: JEB).
The Destructive Power of Desert Locusts
In this new phase, desert locusts form swarms with approximately 150 million individuals per square kilometer, causing tremendous destruction, equivalent to the daily food consumption of 35,000 people.
Each day, these swarms consume up to 1.8 tons of vegetation, and a medium-sized swarm can destroy enough crops to feed 2,500 people for an entire year.
With large swarms containing tens of millions of hungry desert locusts moving across tens to hundreds of kilometers, these creatures can devour a field “clean as a whistle” in just a few minutes.
In poor African countries, besides using pesticides, there are very few options to limit the spread of desert locusts. (Photo: AFP/Getty).
Scientists further state that as global warming continues to escalate, the situation is likely to worsen. Due to their capacity for extensive movement, desert locusts are believed to potentially affect the lives of 1 in 10 people on the planet.
Historically, years of desert locust plagues have been referred to as “locust years,” during which they wreak havoc and cause significant consequences. For local residents, the appearance of desert locust swarms is a catastrophe. These creatures are ubiquitous and disrupt daily activities. Desert locusts hinder transportation and invade every corner, making stops wherever they go.
Moreover, for farms and orchards, desert locust swarms represent a “devastating storm.” Scientists indicate that the desert locust plague remains a threat to nations and endangers food security for tens of millions of people. Officials in some countries report that they have resorted to high doses of pesticides but still struggle to combat locust infestations. Even after pesticide applications, desert locust swarms often reproduce abnormally making them exceptionally difficult to eradicate. What is the reason?
Why Are Desert Locusts Hard to Eliminate?
Entomologist Hojun Song from Texas A&M University (USA) commented on this species: “They do not shy away from any geopolitical boundaries, easily infiltrating each territory across borders.”
The cause of the desert locust outbreak, according to Muhammad Azhar Ehsan, an expert at the International Institute for Climate and Society (Columbia University), is due to heavy rainfall and Cyclone Amphan triggering further reproduction. This is partly due to the abnormal changes over several decades in temperature gradients in the Indian Ocean region in 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic is making it extremely difficult to prevent desert locusts, posing a high risk of triggering dual disasters. (Photo: Xinhua).
This creature has quickly spread to several other African countries as well as parts of the Middle East and Asia, including: Kenya, Djibouti, Eritrea, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan, South Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, India, and China. The FAO believes this is the worst desert locust outbreak in many years, threatening food security in many African nations as well as worldwide.
Scientists have researched and identified three main reasons why desert locusts are difficult to eliminate.
First, evidence from long-term studies shows that desert locusts have unexpectedly changed their old habits and begun to move and act in swarms rather than as isolated individuals as before.
The reason for this group migration is for self-defense. When they sense danger, they only jump forward. This movement is repeated among many locusts in a group, becoming a significant driving force propelling the “migration swarm” forward.
Second, desert locusts have changed their color and size; previously green or brown-speckled, they have now shifted to bright yellow to better match their surroundings.
Third, desert locusts have altered their external shape, becoming smaller while their brains have grown larger. During evolution, behavioral changes in this species can occur within just a few hours.
Desert locusts are attacking numerous countries worldwide.
With these changes, desert locust swarms can easily infiltrate territories across borders. In response to this situation, African countries have declared a nationwide state of emergency to combat the desert locust plague and have raised the alert level to a dangerous threshold concerning agricultural crops. In Asia, many countries have also declared a national state of emergency.
Government agencies and citizens in these countries are making efforts to eradicate this insect. The most effective way to control desert locusts is through pesticide spraying. However, the implementation of spraying campaigns does not yield immediate results. Many countries currently under attack by desert locusts have not had direct contact with this species for many years and lack the expertise to deal with this harmful pest. Moreover, in addition to focusing on minimizing damage caused by desert locusts, agencies and governments must also address the urgent concern of food shortages. Consequently, the desert locust pandemic remains one of the most challenging issues to eradicate.
