Locust habitat. What does a locust look like, where does it live, what does it eat, how does it reproduce? Damage and methods of struggle, photo of an insect. The largest locust
Asiotmethis tauricus tauricus (Tarbinsky, 1930) Taxonomic position Class insects (Insecta). Orthoptera order. Locust family (Acrididae). conservation status Subspecies declining in number (2).area
Endemic of Crimea.
Features of morphology
A large, stocky filly with strongly rough body integument and a comb-shaped pronotum in profile. The coloration is light, brownish-yellowish (more or less sandy) with partly reddish and partly blackish inner surface of the hind femur, as well as with a reddish inner surface of the hind tibia. The wings of the male extend slightly beyond the apex of the abdomen, while those of the female slightly (but noticeably) do not reach the apex of the abdomen. The latter feature distinguishes this species from the subspecies Asiotmethis tauricus steppensis Shumakov, 1949, which is widespread beyond the Crimea. It differs from other species of the genus by usually reddish (not blue or purple) areas on the inner side of the hind legs in combination with a greenish-yellowish majority of the hindwings and entire , and not broken into several parts, a dark band on these wings. Body length - 23–34 mm.
Features of biology
It occurs in petrophytic steppes and on the steppe rocky slopes of the Foothills in the western and eastern parts of the Crimea. Adheres to open areas of soil. The peculiar coloring and shape of the body, imitating pebbles and uneven soil, contribute to survival. Food is herbivorous. The females do not fly. Visual communication is developed - females and males demonstrate brightly colored inner surfaces of the hind legs. The phenology has not been studied, but adults are known from May to July.
Threat factors
Habitat destruction due to economic activity: immoderate grazing, recreation and development of habitats of the species on the sea coast.
Protection measures
It is protected in the national natural park "Tarkhankutsky". It is necessary to monitor the state of populations, study the biology and ecology of the species, and protect its habitats.
Information sources
Bei-Bienko and Mishchenko, 1951 a; Key to insects of the European part of the USSR, 1964.
Compiled by: Gorokhov A.V. Photo: Gorokhov A.V.
Locust is an insect that combines several species and represents the true locust family. Another name for the species is locusts.
Locusts usually form giant swarms of several million individuals. The damage that this type of insect inflicts on crops is incomparable. Locusts can destroy all plants in their path.
Information about these insects is reflected in the Bible; chroniclers mentioned them in their works. Locust infestations have always been a universal scourge. Countless hordes of these insects destroyed the crop, which inevitably led to mass starvation. However, the appearance of the insect does not correspond to the terrible consequences caused by them. Interestingly, some species of locusts have long been eaten by people.
The appearance of the locust
The body length of the insect is 6 cm. Usually, the locust has a greenish-brown color, but the color may vary from individual to individual.
It can be completely brown or green. Basically, the color of an insect depends on its age. The older the locust, the darker its color.
Locust "sweeping" the crop. The insect has a large head and filiform, short antennae. The locusts have powerful jaws, they are closed from above by a process of the pronotum. The elytra are covered with dark spots. The insect has transparent lower wings, of a greenish tint, which fold like a fan. Inner side limbs covered with multi-colored spots. Locust females are larger than males, at the end of the abdomen they have 2 pairs of ovipositor hooks protruding forward.
Locusts are harmful to Agriculture insect. Behavior and reproduction of locusts
This type of insect has life cycle two phases: gregarious and solitary. Both phases have the same period of development. First, the egg appears, then the larva, the last cycle is the imago.
The females of this insect species lay their eggs in the ground. After some time, larvae emerge from the eggs. The larvae molt several times and after the final molt they develop wings. The imago stage is coming. Experts distinguish 5 transformations of the larva.
The solitary phase of locust life occurs during those periods when there is an abundance of food around. The single-stage filly has a protective coloration and sexual dimorphism can be observed. At a time when food is scarce, usually in dry and hot years, the female lays a large number of eggs. From them, larvae appear that are already programmed for the gregarious phase of life. From such larvae, not fillies, but real locusts are born. It differs from fillies in its brighter and more contrasting coloration and in the larger size of its wings and body.
At this stage, the locusts gather in huge swarms and move, as if on command, in one direction. The weight of insects in such clusters can reach several thousand tons. All vegetation that is found on the way, the locust destroys. In this regard, agricultural land can be severely affected, which is fraught with famine. Since ancient times, such regions as the African continent, Australia, South Asia, America, where the largest invasion of locusts occurred, have been subjected to locust invasion.
According to some reports, these voracious insects were able to cross the Atlantic. It turns out that even the waters of the ocean cannot be an obstacle to hordes of locusts. If the wind is fair, insects can cover 500 km in a day. The largest swarm of locusts that could be counted contained 12.5 trillion individuals. This huge swarm covered an area of the earth in 513 thousand km. Such an incredible number of insects weighed 27.5 million tons.
Locust is a rather large insect from the category of Orthoptera. WITH long time ago she represents main threat for cultural crops.
The description of the locust can be found in such ancient writings as the Bible, the works of the authors 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 greater than the size of the middle and front paws.
There is a pair of rigid elytra, under which fragile wings with original patterns are located. When folded, they are quite difficult to see.
The antennae of the locust are somewhat shorter than, for example, those of crickets, and the head is larger, the eyes are larger. The insect makes a characteristic sound characteristic of males.
The surface of the thighs of males has small notches, and some thickenings can be seen on the thighs. During friction, these parts make a specific sound, which can be of any key.
Many believe that the color of the locust depends on its genotype. But actually it is not. The color of the insect has a direct relationship with the conditions environment.
Even individuals belonging to the same offspring, but living in different places, may vary in color.
Another factor that affects coloration is the phase of development. 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 a day.
Difference between locust and grasshopper
The main difference between the grasshopper and the locust is that they belong to different families and suborders. In contrast to the locust, the grasshopper belongs to the suborder of long-whiskers.
The structure of the paws also differs. In locusts, they are shorter than in grasshoppers.
Despite their big sizes, locusts are herbivorous insects, while grasshoppers are predators.
Locusts are active during the daytime, while grasshoppers are active at night.
For agriculture, grasshoppers are harmless, and locusts often bring enormous 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 their eggs under the bark of trees.
Locust habitat
Locusts live on almost every continent, with the only exception being Antarctica. Many climatic zones are suitable for this insect.
Some species are characterized by living in grassy areas, others prefer to settle in close proximity to water, while others choose semi-deserts as their habitat.
Nutrition
Those individuals who live apart do not differ in voracity. In a lifetime, one locust is able to absorb up to 300 grams of plants. However, when she enters the pack, her behavior changes dramatically.
The locust invasion causes great harm, because, having met with its relatives, the insect becomes omnivorous and begins to absorb everything it sees: reeds, reeds, fruits, crops, and so on.
Long flights and lack of food force locusts to feed on their weaker relatives.
Development and reproduction
Locusts go through three stages of development during their life. 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 in a special bag that protects against damage. One such bag can hide more than 100 eggs.
After laying, the parents usually die. All winter the eggs are in the soil and ripen.
With the onset of spring, the young locusts hatch, but they do not yet look like an adult, they lack wings.
It takes 40 days and several molts for the locust to move to the next stage.
In one flock there can be more than one billion individuals, and the area that the flock occupies reaches 1000 square kilometers. Such a number of insects is capable of making a sound similar to thunder.
Currently there are great amount locust species, photos of which you can see below.
Locust photo
The filly is an insect from the order Orthoptera of the superfamily Locustidae. Their closest relatives are grasshoppers and crickets.
Appearance of fillies
To date, more than 3800 species of these insects are known. Only in Russia there are more than six hundred species.
The filly is an insect very similar to a grasshopper. She has the same arrangement of the hind legs: with the knee raised high above the body. On the back of both fillies and grasshoppers, rigid elytra are folded. And on the head of both species of insects are antennae-antennae. Even fillies chirp almost like grasshoppers, only much louder!
In fact, it is difficult for an ignorant person to determine at first glance who is in front of him. Grasshopper and filly (insect) are very similar. The photo of both only confirms this.
But nevertheless, there are differences. You just need to take a closer look. They are mainly due to the fact that insects lead a completely different lifestyle.
Filly nutrition
In the midst of a clear warm day, you can often scare a flock of insects out of the grass, outwardly resembling grasshoppers. But we can say with certainty that these are locusts. After all, grasshoppers are predominantly nocturnal, and during the day they hide somewhere. Only with the onset of darkness, these predators go hunting.
And the filly (insect) feeds on vegetation. Therefore, she does not need to wait for the night. Moreover, it is worth noting that this herbivorous insect easily adapts to eating any plants: their leaves, seeds, fruits, and in some cases stems.
Harm caused by grasshoppers to agriculture
Many believe that fillies are quite harmless. After all, they, although they belong to the locust, are solitary insects. However, in 1939, K. N. Filatov, a senior researcher at the Chelyabinsk stronghold of the All-Union Plant Protection Institute, compiled a report on the study of the dynamics of grasshoppers, that is, grasshoppers.
His research proved how dangerous the filly can be for agriculture. According to documentary data, in 1883-1892, these voracious insects regularly destroyed crops in vast areas in the Kurgan district. This was a real disaster for the peasants. And only in 1892 did the people come out in a crowd to hand hunt. With the help of special canopies, they managed to catch 155,951 pounds of filly!
Local historians say that in 1894, when the last insect was buried in the ground, the owner of the molasses factory Balakshin erected a monument in honor of this event at his own expense. Unfortunately, it has not survived to this day.
Fighting fillies
Having noticed this harmful insect in your garden or garden, you should try to reduce the number of fillies by frequent sprinkling. high humidity air has a negative effect on their reproduction.
Treatment of plants with a 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid helps to get rid of fillies. Feeding on plants that have been sprayed with poison, insects die after 1-3 days.
To on next year has not resumed, it is necessary to mow all the plants from the roadsides in the fall, plow the ground deeply and harrow it. This will destroy the filly eggs laid in the ground.
There is another way - to breed hedgehogs in your area. That's really for whom fillies and other pests of gardens and orchards are a joy! At the same time, these prickly predators will destroy slugs and mice, along with fillies, if they decide to settle on the site.
External differences between fillies and grasshoppers
From the foregoing, it is clear why these insects should not be confused. After all, grasshoppers eat larvae and harmful insects for the benefit of man. And the filly, on the contrary, is itself a pest, destroying the crop. Therefore, it is so important to know how they can be distinguished by appearance.
Compared to the grasshopper, the filly is an insect with a sedentary head. Her muzzle is blunt, with powerful jaws.
It is known that grasshoppers belong to the suborder Long-whiskers, and fillies - to short-whiskers. This is understandable. After all, the filly does not have to look for a victim with their help. She does not need to hunt for food, tracking down her prey.
The filly is an insect that has an oblong abdomen, longer than that of a grasshopper. This is due to the fact that the amount of food that she has to digest is quite large.
The front legs serve the filly only as a support, while the grasshopper with their help catches and holds the victim. Therefore, in a herbivore insect, these limbs are weaker and shorter. Less developed in fillies and hind legs. Therefore, her jumps are not as far as those of a grasshopper.
The females of these insects have more pronounced differences. The female grasshopper has a rather large sword-shaped ovipositor behind. In the filly, it is short and practically invisible to the human eye. She lays her eggs directly into the soil.
filly
Not everyone knows that many insects do not hear with their ears at all, as is common with mammals, birds and reptiles. For example, grasshoppers use their legs for this purpose. Their hearing organs are located on the shins of the front paws.
The fillies completely hid their "ears". Their auditory organs are located on the sides of the abdomen, in the region of the first segment.
Organs of sound reproduction in fillies
On a hot afternoon, a loud chirring is heard in the fields and meadows. Usually people smile when they hear these sounds and say: “That's how the grasshoppers chattered!” But this is a wrong assumption!
Grasshoppers by nature sit quietly during the day. Therefore, it is impossible to hear them. Chatter in broad daylight or locusts, or filly. And only the males do it. In such a "musical" way, they attract females to themselves. There is a second explanation for the loud chirping of male fillies. With their sounds, they warn other males that the territory is already occupied.
The filly makes its sounds by rubbing the tubercles located on the thighs of the hind legs against the vein under the elytra.
Filly coloring
An interesting fact is that the color of the locust depends not on the species, but on the environment. If there is a lot of bright greenery around the growing insect, then you get a green filly. An insect that lives in the steppe, where there is less greenery, but a lot of brown soil on which you have to move, will become a gray-brown color.
Although the lower wings in some species are brightly colored. For example, in the blue-winged and red-winged filly, in addition to the protective coloration of the elytra, there is another way to protect against enemies.
Anticipating the impending danger, they soar up sharply with noise, opening their bright wings. And in a moment they go down again. From the outside, it looks like bright flashes-fireworks.
Of all plant pests, locusts are the most dangerous. If in the country there are corners with uncleaned field herbs, there you can always meet a green filly - a lone locust, which over time will provide the appearance of a winged form of locust. In 2000, an epiphytotic outbreak of locust breeding left the Volgograd region without a crop (1000-6000 individuals per square meter of area). In 2010, the pest reached the Urals and some regions of Siberia. The flight of the locust is terrible. Her flocks can number in the billions. When flying, they emit a characteristic sound that is frighteningly creaky near, and in the distance it resembles pre-storm thunder. After the locust, the bare ground remains.
Locust spread
Family true locusts (Acrididae) includes up to 10,000 species, of which about 400 are distributed in the European-Asian range, including in the Russian Federation (Central Asia, Kazakhstan, south Western Siberia, Caucasus, south of the European part). Of the locusts, the most common and harmful for the Russian Federation is Asian locust or migratory locust (Locusta migratoria). There are two life phases: solitary and gregarious. The gregarious form of the locust is harmful. Representatives of the single phase occupy mainly northern regions marked area, and gregarious - southern and warm Asian.
Locust severity level
An omnivorous pest, with the greatest feeding activity in the early morning and evening hours, when there is no heat peak. One individual eats up to 500 g of plants with different densities of vegetative and generative organs (leaves, flowers, young branches, stems, fruits). Covers distances up to 50 km per day. With a gap of 10-15 years, the locust forms huge flocks (bands) of adults, from the combined accumulations of larvae. In the period of mass reproduction, they are able to simultaneously occupy up to 2000 hectares and fly, feeding on the way, up to 300, and with a fair wind up to 1000 km, leaving bare ground with separately sticking out the remains of woody shoots and stems of plants.
Under natural conditions, over time, the number of pests decreases (the onset of cold, hunger, the work of natural entomophages). In swarms, the number of diseases that affect the pest in different phases of development, starting from the egg phase, increases. Restoration lasts 10-15 years and then a massive flight is repeated.
Morphological description of the locust
In appearance, locusts resemble grasshoppers and crickets. Visible hallmark is the length of the antennae (in locusts they are much shorter) and the presence of a curved sharp keel on the pronotum, powerful jaws. The front wings are dense with brownish-brown spots, the hind wings are delicate transparent with a yellowish sometimes greenish tinge.
Locust development cycle
Lifespan adult from 8 months to 2 years. The locust lives and develops in two phases/stages - solitary and gregarious.
single phase
A single locust is distinguished by the overall size of its forms, has green color, for which it received the name "green filly". She leads an inactive lifestyle and practically does no harm. The solitary phase of life for locusts is necessary for the conservation of the population. During this period, females intensively lay eggs. Gradually, the density of larvae increases and reaches a limit, which serves as a signal for the transition to the second stage of development and life.
gregarious phase
In the gregarious phase, female locusts begin to lay eggs programmed for a marching foraging program. The researchers suggest that the "call" is the lack of protein in the diet of adults. Adult adults of locusts gather in flocks, and larvae form dense swarms.
Locust breeding
Locusts usually die at the end of October with the onset of a steady cold. Before the onset of cold weather, the female lays eggs, forming winter apartments in the upper 10 cm layer of soil, which are called capsules. During the laying period, the female locust secretes a foamy liquid from the gonads, which quickly hardens, separating the eggs from the surrounding soil. In the course of laying eggs, the female forms several capsules (pods) with a lid, inside which she places 50-100 eggs, with a total of up to 300 or more. During the winter diapause, the eggs acquire cold resistance and do not freeze even in severe winters. With the onset of heat, the winter pause ends and in spring, with sufficient warming of the soil in the upper layer, a white larva appears from the egg. On the soil surface, after a few hours, it darkens, acquires an imago-like appearance (without wings), and begins to feed. Within 1.0-1.5 months, the larva goes through 5 instars and turns into an adult locust. Another month of enhanced feeding, and after mating, the female locust starts laying eggs. During the warm period, each female forms 1-3 generations.
According to the lifestyle of the locust, it belongs to the gregarious species. In years with sufficient food, moderately humid climate and average temperatures, single individuals do not cause great harm. But you need to take into account the cyclical nature of development and the transition from a solitary lifestyle to a herd. It appears after about 4 years. During this period, especially when coinciding with hot, dry summer period within 2-3 years, the locust multiplies intensively, forming huge concentrations of larvae in a small area (bands). Outbreaks of mass reproduction, coinciding with weather conditions, can last for several years, gradually fading and moving back to a solitary form of life. The interval between epiphytoties averages 10-12 years.
Individuals of the herd form, trying to maintain protein and water balance of their body, are forced to eat without interruption (otherwise they will die from their lack in the body). Moving in search of fresh food, they travel, as already noted, from 50 to 300 km per day. One individual is able to eat 200-500 g of green mass of plants and similar neighbors in a swarm. Protein deficiency turns the locust into a predator, and the swarm is conditionally divided into 2 groups. One runs away from relatives, the other catches up with them and eats them, and both "along the road of life" are reinforced by plants rich in carbohydrates. The natural gradual decrease in the number of the pest is caused by outbreaks of diseases in locust swarms at their high density, damage to eggs in egg pods various diseases, natural enemies of locusts ( predatory insects, birds and other fauna).
Therefore, the most vulnerable point in locust development is the increased density of egg deposition and larval initiation (per unit area). Locust swarms begin their flights at an increased density of pests. This means that it is necessary to initially destroy the clutches of eggs and the "islands" of larvae, plowing the land to reduce the density of pests. On summer cottages the main role of population reduction is based on integrated pest control measures: agrotechnical measures + chemical treatment soil and plants.
Locust control methods
Given the speed of movement, gluttony and the complete destruction of green plants along the path of a swarm of locusts, chemical control measures are used to destroy it, especially in large areas.
Locust control in a country house or house area is mainly prophylactic and proactive and begins with agrotechnical measures, the thoroughness and timely implementation of which helps to significantly reduce the number of pests and prevent epiphytotic damage to the green world of plants.
Agrotechnical measures
In areas prone to locust attacks, late digging of the summer cottage or house area is necessary, during which egg-pods with locust eggs are destroyed.
In alternative agriculture, unused areas must be grassed, which prevents the formation of egg-pods and the laying of eggs by female locusts.
Chemical control measures
All treatments chemicals best done in the morning. When working, observe personal safety measures, work in an appropriate suit, respirator, goggles, gloves. Working with chemicals must be strictly followed guidelines cultivation and use of pesticides.
With a large accumulation of locust larvae in separate areas, it is treated with Decis-extra, Karate, Confidor, Image, the validity of which lasts up to 30 days. Can be treated with all drugs that are used to combat the Colorado potato beetle.
The systemic insecticide Clotiamet-VDG provides plant protection against locusts for up to 3 weeks. After 2 hours, all pests die, the number of live hatched larvae decreases markedly. The product can be used in a tank mix with fertilizers and growth stimulants subject to mandatory compatibility testing.
Insecticide Gladiator-KE cleans larvae and adult locusts well. Use in the early hours when adults are in a daze. Doses of the drug vary depending on the age of the locust.
Damylin is an insecticide with a unique effect on the growth of the pest and the formation of chitin in the body of the larva during molts. As a result, the larvae die before reaching the age of an adult pest. Valid for up to 40 days. The drug is low toxic for humans and warm-blooded animals, quickly decomposes in water and soil.
