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Australian plague locust |
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Chortoicetes terminifera
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Adult Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera)
© Agriculture Western Australia
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Description
Newly emerged nymphs are about the size of houseflies and hop actively. Adults have a characteristic black tip to the hind wing. Swarming locusts are light brown, but solitary individuals may be green or yellow.
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Adult Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera)
© Agriculture Western Australia
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Life cycle
Two generations occur annually. Nymphs of the first generation appear when soil temperatures begin to rise in spring. The attainment of adulthood may take four to eight weeks depending on climatic conditions. Eggs laid by the first generation require at least three weeks to hatch and will only hatch if sufficient soil moisture is present. Eggs laid by the second generation enter a resting phase which enables them to over-winter. |
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2000 Locust Rating
© Agriculture Western Australia
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Damage
Adult locusts will eat almost any green plant material, but crops most at risk are ripening cereals in early summer, summer pastures and green pasture growth following summer rain. Farm gardens may be severely attacked. Locust plagues in Western Australia are rarely as severe as those in the eastern States. |
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Locusts on the March video
© Agriculture Western Australia
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Control
Egg parasites are common but rarely cause significant losses. Several fly parasites are common and the second locust generation is often heavily parasitized. The species is declared under the Agriculture and Related Resources Protection Act and control is obligatory. |
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