Migratory Locust
Taxonomy
Orthoptera » Caelifera » Acridoidea » Acrididae » Oedipodinae » Locusta migratoria
Status
MI
Distribution Map
Colours show the year of the last record -
| up to 1987 | 1988-97 | 1998 up to present |
Only Recording Scheme datasets are included. Other datasets on the Gateway may hold additional information.
Recordings
Description
The “gregarious” form that is most likely to be found in Britain is a large greyish-brown to rufous grasshopper with a single horizontal bar across the eyes. There is no peg between the forelegs, and no prominent central keel on the pronotum. Nymphs are orange-brown. Adults of the solitary form are greyish-green with a humped thorax.
Size
32 - 80 mm
Wings
In the gregarious form, both sexes have long wings and fly well.
Stridulation
Short burst of rapid ticking.
Food
Herbivorous.
Habitat
The Migratory Locust is the most widespread locust species, occurring throughout Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. It used to be common in Europe but has now become rare here. Because of the vast geographic area it occupies, comprising different ecological zones, numerous subspecies have been described. In Britain the species occurs as a rare vagrant or as an escape from pet shops, though it is not bred here commonly.
Phenology
True vagrants are most likely to arrive on warm south-easterly winds in late summer or early autumn. Escapes may occur all year round.