The Bible even described it as a plague sent by God to the Egyptians.
Locusts are insects that live in steppes and semi-deserts. They are found in Eurasia, Africa and Australia.
Locusts are insects of the locust family (Acrididae), which has about 7500 species of these insects.
Migratory locusts are oligophages, i.e., an organism with a very specialized menu.
Locusts may appear in Poland. The last recorded locust case in our country occurred in 1967 near Kozienice.
Migratory locusts can reach sizes from 35 to 55 mm in length.
Locusts can lead both solitary and gregarious lifestyles.
Swarms of locusts cause enormous damage to agriculture.
In history, it happened that a swarm of locusts appeared near Stockholm.
Locusts can migrate up to 2 kilometers.
The lifespan of locusts is about 3 months.
There are two main types of locusts: the migratory locust, which can be found in Poland, and the desert locust.
Migratory locusts are greenish in color.
Desert locusts are slightly larger than migratory locusts, are brown with yellow spots and have a characteristic growth on the prothorax. They live in East Africa and India.
During reproduction, the female of this insect lays about 100 eggs in a moist substrate. The organ used to place eggs in the ground is called the ovipositor.
Locusts are suitable for human consumption and are also used as feedstock for reptile breeding.
The locust has developed a special organ that allows it to sense changes in atmospheric pressure. Thanks to this, they are able to predict upcoming precipitation.
A swarm of locusts can number up to fifty billion individuals.