Locusts Overview and Management

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Overview about Locusts Introduction Important species of locusts in India Biology of Desert Locust Locust Phases Breeding Se...

Overview about Locusts

Introduction

Historically, the Desert Locust has always been a major threat to man’s well-being. The Desert Locust is mentioned as curse to mankind in ancient writings viz. Old Testament-Bible and the Holy Koran. The magnitude of the damage and loss caused by the locusts is very gigantic beyond imagination as they can cause starvation its being a polyphagous feeder. An average small locust swarm eats as much food in one day as about 10 elephants, 25 camels or 2500 people. A swarm the size of Delhi will consume the same amount of food in one day as every inhabitant in Rajasthan or Madhya Pradesh in one day. Locusts cause damage by devouring the leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, bark and growing points and also by breaking down trees because of their weight when they settle down in masses.

Important species of locusts in India

There are 10 important species of locusts in the world, out of these four types of locust are recorded in India viz.,

Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria F.) is the most destructive of them
Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria L.)
Bombay Locust (Nomadacris succincta L.) and
Tree locust (Anacridium rubrispinum B.B.).

Biology of Desert Locust

The Desert Locust has three distinct stages: (i) egg, (ii) hopper and (iii) adult.

Egg : Eggs are laid in pods in moist sandy soil at a depth of about 10-15 cm at an interval of 7–10 days. Gregarious females usually lay 2-3 egg pods having an average of 60-80 eggs/pod. Solitarious females lay 3-4 times having 150-200 eggs in average. The rate of development of eggs depends on soil moisture and temperature, but in general it is about two weeks. No development takes place below 15°C. The incubation period is 10–12 days when the optimum temperature is between 32– 35°C.
Hopper : After incubation is complete, the eggs hatch and wingless nymphs (hoppers) emerge. There are 5 instars in gregarious and 5-6 instars in solitarious hoppers. In each instar, there is a growth and change in characteristic coloration.
The rate of development of hoppers depends on temperature. It takes 22 days when the mean air temperature is hot say about 37°C and may be delayed up to 70 days when the mean temperature is below 22°C. In general, it takes about six weeks from hatching to fledging, or about one week per instar.

1st Instar	Newly hatched are white but turns black in 1-2 hours.
IInd Instar	Head is larger and pale colour pattern is conspicuous.
IIIrd Instar	Two pairs of wing buds projects on each side of thorax
IVth Instar	Colour is conspicuously black and yellow.
Vth Instar	Colour is bright yellow with black pattern.

Adult : The 5th instar nymph molts into adult stage. This change is called 'fledging' and the young adult is called a 'fledgling' in which its wings are still soft and cannot fly. After a few days, the wings harden and sexual 'immature adult' is capable of flight. The immature adult stage is most injurious and capable of long distance travel. Under optimal conditions the adult may mature in 3 weeks and under cooler and drier conditions, it may take up to 8 months. In general, however, it usually takes about 4 weeks before an adult is ready to reproduce. If vegetation dries out, the adults will leave the area and fly with the wind (downwind) in search of green vegetation and favorable breeding conditions. Solitarious adults fly for only a few hours at night while gregarious adults (swarms) fly during daylight.
Young immature gregarious adults are pink in color but older ones become dark red or brown in cold condition. On maturation, gregarious adults become bright yellow. Males mature before females. Oviposition commences within two days of copulation.
The mature female drills hole at a depth of 8-10 cm in moist sandy soil, oviposit thrice at weekly interval about 1000 egg pods/sq.m area. Adults fly in swarms and migrate in millions from country to country or from place to place. The adult swarms move at a speed of 12 to 16 kmph.

Locust Phases

Characteristics	Solitary phase	Gregarious phase
Behavior	-Do not form groups or swarms -Roost, bask, feed and move as individuals -Hoppers move short distance, adults fly as individuals at night	-Form persistent and cohesive groups, bands and swarm -Roost, bask, feed and move together -Very mobile, fly as swarms by day. Hoppers move in band.
Colour	-Hoppers uniformly green in early instars but may be brown in last two instars. -Adult pale grayish brown, buffer peach coloured. Males change to pale yellow on sexual maturation. -Female show no colour change on maturation at low density.	-Hoppers have black pattern on yellow or orange background -Adults rosy pink on fledging, darkens with age to grayish or brownish red then to yellow on sexual maturation. Males are brighter.
Morphometrics	F/C Male 3.75 and above Female 3.85 and above E/F Male 2.025 or below Female 2.075 or below	F/C Male 3.15 or below Female same as above E/F Male 2.225 and above Female 2.272 and above
Note: C = Width of head, E = Length of forewing, F = Length of hind femur, measuring Unit in milimetre

Breeding Season

In all, there are three breeding seasons for locusts (i) Winter breeding [November to December], (ii) Spring breeding [January to June] and (iii) Summer breeding [July to October].

India has only one locust breeding season and that is Summer breeding. The neighboring country Pakistan has both spring and summer breeding.

Source : Directorate Of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

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Desert Locust damage in India

Desert locusts are known for causing massive destruction of food crops, greenery and plants. They reproduce in lakhs and form swarms in search of food. They travel hundreds of miles with their strong wings and legs without taking any break. According to FAO, a one square kilometre swarm of locusts, with about 40 million locusts, can in a day eat as much food as 35,000 people, assuming that each individual consumes 2.3 kg of food per day.

During 2020, swarms of locusts from East Africa enroute to Iran, Pakistan reached India, causing damage to crops in parts of Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

About desert locusts

Locusts are about 2 inches (5 centimeters) long in size and have short, thick antennas. Due to climatic changes, they reproduce so quickly in large numbers and become crowd. They behave differently in crowds and start forming into swarms. Without any break, they fly for days or weeks over thousands of miles. When they finally stop, each locust can intake more food than its body weight. This can destroy farm fields very quickly and leave people to starve for food to eat and can lead to famine.

The desert locust is an international pest affecting about 60 countries, mainly India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Arabia, Persia, Iraq and Africa. It is known to migrate in swarms from one country to another leaving behind famine. Adult locust swarms can fly up to 150 km (93 miles) a day with the wind and adult insects can consume roughly their own weight of fresh food per day. A very small swarm eats about as much food as 35,000 people eat in a day.

Damage of crops in India

During 2019-20, India witnessed a massive locust attack which was successfully controlled. Starting from 11th April, 2020 till 25thAugust, 2020, control operations have been done in 2,79,066 hectares area in States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana by Locust Circle Offices (LCOs). Till 25thAugust, 2020, control operations have been done in 2,87,374 hectares area in States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Bihar by State Governments.

Usually, the locust swarms enter the Scheduled Desert Area of India through Pakistan for summer breeding in the month of June/July with the advent of monsoon. This year, however the incursions of locust hoppers and pink swarms have been reported much earlier because of presence of residual population of Locusts in Pakistan (uncontrolled from last season). Since 11th April 2020, locust hoppers and from 30th April, 2020, the incursion of pink immature adults has been reported in bordering districts of Rajasthan and Punjab. Pink immature adults fly high and cover long distances during day hours from one place to another along with the westerly winds coming from the Pakistan side. Most of these pink immature adults settle on the trees during night and mostly fly during day.

During 2019-2020, in Gujarat, locusts attacked in December and damaged mainly rapeseed and cumin seed planted in about 17,000 hectares. In the neighbouring Rajasthan, 3,60,000 hectares came under the attack. The migratory pest later entered Punjab, Haryana and Madhya Pradesh, threatening major damage to standing cotton crop and vegetables.

After crop destruction in 18 districts of Rajasthan and a dozen districts of Madhya Pradesh, an army of desert locusts reached Jhansi in Uttar Pradesh, prompting the government to declare a state-wide alert. In Uttar Pradesh, locusts are feared to affect 17 districts - Agra, Aligarh, Mathura, Bulandshahr, Hathras, Etah, Firozabad, Mainpuri, Etawah, Farrukhabad, Auraiya, Jalaun, Kanpur, Jhansi, Mahoba, Hamirpur and Lalitpur. However, due to change in wind direction, movement of swarms changed its route to Pingal.

As on 21 June 2020, swarms of immature pink locusts with intermittent population of maturing yellow adults were active in Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Sri Ganganagar, Jaipur, Nagaur, and Ajmer districts of Rajasthan, Panna district of Madhya Pradesh and Lalitpur district of Uttar Pradesh.

As on 27th July 2020, swarms of immature pink locusts, adult yellow locusts and/or hoppers are active in Jaisalmer, Barmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Churu, Nagaur, Sriganganagar, Jhunjhunu, Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar of Rajasthan and 01 place in Kutch district of Gujarat. No significant crop losses have been reported in the States of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and Haryana. However, some minor crop losses have been reported in some districts of Rajasthan.

As on 9th August 2020, hoppers and/or some scattered locust adults were active in Barmer, Jodhpur, Bikaner, Nagaur, Churu, Hanumangarh and Sriganganagar of Rajasthan and in Kutch district of Gujarat. As on 19th August 2020, hoppers were active in Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bikaner, Churu and Hanumangarh of Rajasthan and Kutch district of Gujarat. As on August 26, 2020, no locust adults or hoppers were spotted in any of the affected areas

As per the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Locust Status Update of 24 Aug., 2020, the risk of swarm migration to the Indo-Pakistan summer breeding area has nearly subsided. Weekly virtual meeting on Desert Locust of South-West Asian countries (Afghanistan, India, Iran and Pakistan) is being organized by FAO. 23 virtual meetings of the technical officers of South West Asian countries have taken place so far.

Breeding ground

Heavy rains create favourable breeding conditions for locusts along the India-Pakistan border. If allowed to breed unchecked in favourable conditions, locusts can form huge swarms that can strip trees and crops over vast areas. Once a swarm has developed, it is almost impossible to control.

Strategies for locust control

In India more than 2 lakh square kilometers area comes under Scheduled Desert Area. Locust Warning Organization and 10 Locust Circle Offices (LCO) of Government of India are situated in Rajasthan (Jaisalmer, Bikaner, Phalodi, Barmer, Jalore, Churu, Nagaur, Suratgarh) and Gujarat (Palanpur and Bhuj) are responsible for monitoring, survey and control of Desert Locust in Scheduled Desert Area in coordination with State Governments.

The chief aim of locust control is to destroy the locust in all its’ stages.

Destruction of eggs

Locating the egg laid areas is always important, then trench them round (2’ x 2’), so as to entrap the young hoppers as they move out after hatching and burying.
Even actual destruction of eggs on organized scale may be carried out by ploughing, harrowing and hand digging

Controlling flying locusts
When flying locusts are about to descend in large swarms in cultivated areas, the best way to handle them by all possible methods, such as :

Beating plates to create sound, or creating a cloud of smoke by burning refuse, etc.,
Spraying with neem kernel suspension.
“Duck troops” can counter locust attack. Each duck can eat as many as 200 locusts per day.
Foliar spray with lambda cyhalothrin 5EC@400ml/ha or fipronil 5SC @125ml/ha on moong.
Aerial sprays using drones with chemical pesticides like Malathion

References

Authors : Dr. Usha Kalidindi Principal Scientist, FHT, ICAR-IARI, New Delhi -110012 and Aruna Gali.

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Locust Control And Plant Protection

The Indian Agriculture is highly prone to Desert Locust. The Desert Locust is a trans-boundary pest which can cause irreparable damages.

Locust Control and Research is a sub component under the Sub Mission on Plant Protection and Plant Quarantine (SMPPQ), a scheme under Green Revolution (Krishonnati Yojana) through which regulatory, monitoring, surveillance and capacity building functions are performed.

Locust Warning Organisation

In order to keep the menace of locust at bay Locust Warning Organization (LWO) has been established.

Locust Warning Organisation (LWO), Directorate of Plant Protection Quarantine and Storage, Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare is responsible for monitoring, survey and control of Desert Locust in Scheduled Desert Areas mainly in the States of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The Department has established 11 Nos. of Locust Control Offices (LCOs) established under LWO in Scheduled Desert Area of Rajasthan and Gujarat. The LWO monitors, forewarns and controls locust in Scheduled Desert Area, conduct research on locust and grasshoppers, keep liaison and coordination with National and International Organizations and undertakes HRD through training and demonstration.

Scheduled Desert Area of India

State	District	Tehsil, Taluka Area	No. of Villages	Area in sq km
Rajasthan	Alwar	Bansure, Behror	318	1380.30
Rajasthan	Barmer	Barmer, Chohtan, Pachpadra, Sheo, Ramsar, Siwana	1636	27,755.64
	Bikaner	Bikaner, Lunkaransar, Nokha, Sri, Kolayatji	673	22,611.13
	Churu	Churu, Rajgarh, Ratangarh, Sardarshahar, Sri Dungargarh, Taranagar, Sujangarh	940	16,806.12
	Jaisalmer	Jaisalmer, Pokaran	562	43,583.94
	Jalore	Ahore, Bhinmal, Jalore, Sanchore	612	12,208.56
	Jhunjhunu	Chirawa, Jhunjhunu, Khetri, Udaipur, Shekhawati	692	5,879.82
	Jodhpur	Jodhpur, Osian, Phalodi, Shergarh	624	17,660.10
	Nagaur	Nagaur, Jayal, Didwana, Ladnun, Nawa	878	11,132.70
	Sikar	Sikar, Lachhmangarh, Neem ka Thana, Fatehgarh, Sawai Madhopur	1506	7,765.80
	Sriganganagar	Sriganganagar, Anupgarh, Bhadra, Nohar, Suratgarh	2308	12,466.56
Total Rajasthan				1,79,250.67
Gujarat	Amreli	Dwarka Taluka	42	711.17
	Banaskantha	Deesa, Deodar, Dhanera, Palanpur (West of main Ahmedabad-Rly Line), Radhanpur, Tharad (Vav, Santalpur, Sihori, Talukas)	1086	9,843.09
	Bhuj	Abdasa, Khadif, Khauvda, Lakhpat, Nakhtrana, Western-Half), Rapar	655	7,013.47
	Halar Jamnagar)	Drol & Parts of Jdia, Kalyanpur, Khambalia, Jamnagar, Lalpura, Talukas lying along the gulf of Rann of Kutch.	221	2,374.50
Total of Gujarat				23,077.58
Haryana	Mohindergarh	Mohindergarh, Narnaul	378	3,457.20
Total Haryana				3,457.20
Grand Total				2,05,785.45

Preventive control strategy

All countries affected by desert locust generally adopt a preventive control strategy for the management of desert locust in order to reduce the frequency, duration and intensity of plagues.

This strategy consists of regular surveys to provide early warning and contingency planning to allow early and effective response before the situation becomes out of control. LWO (comprising of all field units) undertakes regular surveys in the scheduled desert area of Rajasthan and Gujarat to monitor the presence of desert locust and ecological conditions. During the survey, an assessment is made to determine, if the locust numbers have crossed the economic threshold level (ETL) which is 10,000 adults/ha. and 5-6 hoppers/bush that may require control.

The constant watch and surveys are undertaken in desert areas with green vegetation (surface) and about two weeks after receiving the rain. These surveys are done regularly during the entire year, but most importantly from May to November when desert locust activity is considered at its peak due to congenial breeding conditions. This coincides with the monsoon season in Rajasthan and Gujarat. During this time, the frequency of surveys is doubled from May to November as compared to December to April.

The surveys are undertaken from sunrise to mid-day and for a few hours in the evening before sunset in the temperature range of 20–38°C. Whenever and wherever the population of desert locust is found exceeding the economical threshold level, immediate control measures are pressed into operation. Control operations are not conducted when locust numbers are low, isolated and scattered because this would not be effective and it would be harmful to the environment. In addition to LWO, concerned state authorities are also requested to keep constant watch over the development of locust activities and inform to the nearest Locust Circle office, if any development is seen and further action is required.

India has witnessed several locust plagues and upsurges since 1812 to 1997. More recently, there have been several control campaigns that were conducted. Since December 2011, no locust upsurges have taken place.

Locust Bulletin

LWO issues the Desert Locust Situation Bulletin at fortnightly intervals to inform all concerned stakeholders about prevailing locust situation in India. The bulletins are in English and Hindi.

To access the Locust Bulletins, click here.

Locust Watch

Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations provides Locust situation, Current upsurge, Desert Locust Bulletin and Risk map as part of its Locust Watch initiative. The initiative aims to monitor the world-wide locust situation and keep affected countries and donors informed of expected developments.

To access the Locust Bulletins, click here.

Standard Operation Procedures on Desert Locust Control

Source : Directorate Of Plant Protection, Quarantine & Storage

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FAQs on locusts

What is the difference between locusts and grasshoppers?

Locusts are part of a large group of insects commonly called grasshoppers which have big hind legs for jumping. Locusts belong to the family called Acrididae. Locusts differ from grasshoppers in that they have the ability to change their behaviour and habits and can migrate over large distances.

What is a Desert Locust?

The Desert Locust is one of about a dozen species of short-horned grasshoppers (Acridoidea) that are known to change their behavior and form swarms of adults or bands of hoppers (wingless nymphs). The swarms that form can be dense and highly mobile. The Latin name for Desert Locust is Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal).

What countries are affected by the Desert Locust?

During quiet periods (known as recessions) Desert Locusts are usually restricted to the semi-arid and arid deserts of Africa, the Near East and South-West Asia that receive less than 200 mm of rain annually. This is an area of about 16 million square kilometres, consisting of about 30 countries. During plagues, Desert Locusts may spread over an enormous area of some 29 million square kilometres, extending over or into parts of 60 countries. This is more than 20% of the total land surface of the world. During plagues, the Desert Locust has the potential to damage the livelihood of a tenth of the world's population.

Do Desert Locust plagues occur with any regularity?

There is no evidence that Desert Locust plagues occur after a specific number of years. Instead, plagues develop intermittently. Plagues of locusts have been reported since the Pharaonic times in ancient Egypt. During this century, Desert Locust plagues occurred in 1926-1934, 1940-1948, 1949-1963, 1967-1969 and 1986-1989.

How long does a Desert Locust live?

A Desert Locust lives a total of about three to five months although this is extremely variable and depends mostly on weather and ecological conditions. The life cycle comprises three stages: egg, hopper and adult. Eggs hatch in about two weeks (the range is 10-65 days), hoppers develop in five to six stages over a period of about 30-40 days, and adults mature in about three weeks to nine months but more frequently from two to four months.

How many eggs does a Desert Locust female produce?

Desert Locust females lay eggs in an egg pod primarily in sandy soils at a depth of 10-15 centimetres below the surface. A solitary female lays about 95-158 eggs whereas a gregarious female lays usually less than 80 eggs in an egg pod. Females can lay at least three times in their lifetime usually at intervals of about 6-11 days. Up to 1,000 egg pods have been found in one square metre.

How far and how fast can Desert Locusts migrate?

Desert Locusts usually fly with the wind at a speed of about 16-19 km/h depending on the wind. Swarms can travel about 5-130 km or more in a day. Locusts can stay in the air for long periods of time. For example, locusts regularly cross the Red Sea, a distance of 300 km. In the past there have been some spectacular and very long distance swarm migrations, for example from North-West Africa to the British Isles in 1954 and from West Africa to the Caribbean, a distance of 5,000 km in about ten days in 1988. Solitary Desert Locust adults usually fly at night whereas gregarious adults (swarms) fly during the day.

How big are swarms and how many locusts are there in a swarm?

Locust swarms can vary from less than one square kilometre to several hundred square kilometres. There can be at least 40 million and sometimes as many as 80 million locust adults in each square kilometre of swarm.

What percentage of the Desert Locust's exoskeleton is chitin?

Chitin is the most important constituent of the cuticle or exoskeleton of the Desert Locust. The production of chitin is a continuous process and increases throughout the life of a Desert Locust, varying from about 1.7% (of fresh weight of a locust) during the hopper stage to 2.2% in the young adult and 4% in a two month old adult.

How much food can a Desert Locust eat?

A Desert Locust adult can consume roughly its own weight in fresh food per day, that is about two grams every day. A 1 km² size swarm contains about 40 million locusts, which eat the same amount of food in one day as about 35,000 people, 20 camels or 6 elephants. This is based on a person eating an average of 2.3 kg of food per day, according to the USDA.

What is the relationship between locusts and ecology?

When conditions are favourable for reproduction, locust numbers increase and when they are not, numbers decrease either by natural mortality or through migration. For the Desert Locust, favourable conditions for breeding are

moist sandy or sand/clay soil to depths of 10-15 cm below the surface,
some bare areas for egg-laying, and
green vegetation for hopper development.

Often favourable conditions may exist in the desert but there are no locusts present. Therefore, the presence of moist soil and green vegetation does not automatically mean that there are locusts around.

Why do locusts change their behaviour?

As Desert Locusts increase in number and become more crowded, they change their behavior from that of acting as an individual (solitarious) insect to that as acting as part of a group (gregarious). The appearance of the locust also changes: solitary adults are brown whereas gregarious adults are pink (immature) and yellow (mature). Up until 1921, it was thought that the Desert Locust was actually two different species of locusts.

Are there other important species of locusts?

Although the Desert Locust is considered to be the most important species of locust due to its ability to migrate over large distances and rapidly increase its numbers, there are several other important species of locusts throughout the world:

African Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria migratorioides) - Africa;
Oriental Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria manilensis) - South-East Asia;
Red Locust (Nomadacris septemfasciata) - Eastern Africa;
Brown Locust (Locustana pardalina) - Southern Africa;
Italian Locust (Calliptamus italicus), from western Europe to Central Asia;
Moroccan Locust (Dociostaurus maroccanus) - North-West Africa to Asia;
Bombay Locust (Nomadacris succincta) - South-West to South-East Asia;
Australian Plague Locust (Chortoicetes terminifera) - Australia;
Tree Locusts (Anacridium sp.) - Africa, Mediterranean, Near East.

Can locusts hurt humans?

Locusts do not attack people or animals. There is no evidence that suggests that locusts carry diseases that could harm humans.

How can locusts be controlled?

At present the primary method of controlling Desert Locust swarms and hopper bands is with mainly organphosphate chemicals applied in small concentrated doses (referred to as ultra low volume (ULV) formulation) by vehicle-mounted and aerial sprayers and to a lesser extent by knapsack and hand-held sprayers.

Who carries out locust control operations?

Locust survey and control are primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture in locust affected countries and are operations undertaken by national locust units. There are also several regional locust organizations that assist with survey and control operations. During times of outbreaks and plagues, external assistance from the donor community and other international organizations is usually required.

Extensive research is in progress on biological control and other means of non-chemical control of locusts. The current focus is primarily on pathegens and insect growth regulators. Thus far control by natural predators and parasites is limited since locusts can quickly migrate away from most natural enemies. Although giant nets, flamethrowers, lasers and huge vacuums have been proposed in the past, these are not in use for locust control. People and birds often eat locusts but usually not enough to significantly reduce population levels over large areas.

Can locusts be detected by satellites?

Weather satellites and other satellites used to monitor the environment cannot detect locust individuals or swarms. However, the highly sophisticated satellites used by the military can indeed detect locusts but these images are not available. Even if they were, it is unlikely that national and international locust organizations would have the ability to interpret the hundreds of images that would be produced on a daily basis.

Why are Desert Locust so difficult to control?

There are many reasons as to why it is difficult to successfully combat the Desert Locust. Some of these are:

the extremely large area (16-30 million sq. km) within which locusts can be found,
the remoteness and difficult access of such areas,
the insecurity or lack of safety (such as land mines) in some areas,
the limited resources for locust monitoring and control in some of the affected countries
the undeveloped basic infrastructure (roads, communications, water and food) in many countries
the difficulty in maintaining a sufficient number of trained staff and functioning resources during the long periods of recession in which there is little or no locust activity
political relations amongst affected countries
the difficulty in organizing and implementing control operations in which the pesticide must be applied directly onto the locusts, and
the difficulty in predicting outbreaks given the lack of periodicity of such incidents and the uncertainty of rainfall in locust areas.

Do people eat locusts?

People in several countries collect locusts using large nets and by other means. Locusts are usually stir-fried, roasted or boiled and eaten immediately or dried and eaten later. Locusts are rich in protein.

About 62% of the dry weight of an adult Desert Locust consists of proteins, 17% as fats, and the remainder as inorganic constituents (Si, Cu, Fe, Mn, Na, K, Ca, Mg, Ti, Ni, P, S).

Source : FAO

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