Turning into a monster
So what is it that turns this harmless solitary herbivore
into part of an unstoppable cloud that consumes all that is in its path?
Well it all starts with a bit of rain followed by some nice weather
that improves conditions in just the right way for the locust that then go onto
reproduce at high numbers. How does this lead to these otherwise docile
creatures turning into a swarm of ravenous monsters?
As their population size increase the levels of the locust
change to suit the high densities by becoming more mobile but also more
hungry…..
So what changes occur between the two types of locusts?
Physical
The brain of a gregarious locust grows to be about 30% large
than a solitary locust, this helps the locust change their behaviour to suite a
more generalist diet, where they need to remember what plants are best to consume
over others. The larger brain will also help with the behavioural requirements
needed to be part of a swarm such as having the ability to recognise the
behaviours of other members of the swarm to reduce the effects of intraspecific
competition. There is also a reduction in overall body size to allow the locust
to be more mobile by reducing energy cost of having a larger body as well as an
increased metabolism to help with the greater increase in energy output used by
continuously moving over large distances.
Social/feeding
Solitary locusts do not occur in high densities and tend to
move away from other locust they come in contact with each other. whereas the gregarious locusts will swarm
together in densities of more than 100
locusts m2 and at these densities they will switch from eating a
small range of host plants which become less available, too consuming a large
range of plants unspecific plants that they come across as they travel across
the land.
How do these locusts know that it’s time to swarm?
When the locusts come into close contact with each other
they brush against hairs on their hind legs that trigger the release of
serotonin this then compels the locusts to keep together as it gives them a
chemical reward for being in close quarters with each other.
Once the locust are together they start to march in columns
that can be up to 6km long, they will continue this marching through the nymph
stages of their life cycle but once they reach fall development they will fly
in massive swarms that can cover large areas and eat everything they can that
crosses their path until the population becomes too unstable to support as the
resources start to deplete the locust can become cannibalistic as they need to
feed constantly to support their high metabolisms.
These swarms are unpredictable as there is still a lot that
isn’t know about them, there is also variation within the species of locust
that can produces these swarms thus adding more complexity to what we need to know
to understand the swarming behaviour that they exhibit and how to control them,
so they do not cause millions of dollar of damage in the areas in which they
occur .
so until there is a time where we can control them people will always
have to eyes to the skies and listen for the buzz of the swarm.
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