Desert locust

Presentation

The desert locust is an orthopteran of the Acrididae family, famous for its ability to form massive devastating swarms. This species is one of the most feared agricultural pests in the world, capable of crossing thousands of kilometers and causing famines.

The desert locust exhibits remarkable polymorphism: its solitary form is greenish and not gregarious, while the gregarious form is yellow and brown with dark markings and has a distinct morphotype. Gregarious individuals are more robust and show wing reduction.

Characteristics

Indicative values: they vary by subspecies, sex and region.

Habitat and distribution

The desert locust colonizes semi-arid and arid environments: steppes, deserts and transitional zones. It is found particularly in Sahelian and Saharan regions, where climatic conditions allow the development of large populations. It particularly favors areas with sporadic vegetation coverage.

Behaviour

In solitary phase, desert locusts are shy and sedentary. Under the effect of population density and favorable climatic factors, they transform into gregarious phase, forming bands that become spectacular migrating swarms. Their behavior changes radically: they become aggressive and extremely mobile.

Reproduction

The desert locust's reproduction is rapid and efficient. Females lay their eggs in moist soil in clusters containing 50 to 100 eggs. Embryonic development usually lasts 2 to 3 weeks, followed by 5 nymphal stages before reaching adulthood. Multiple generations can succeed each other in a single year.

Peculiarities

The major peculiarity of the desert locust is its extreme behavioral and morphological polymorphism: genetically identical individuals can switch from solitary to gregarious phase depending on conditions. A swarm can travel up to 150 km in a single day. This species is mentioned in biblical texts as one of the ten plagues of Egypt.

Threats and conservation

Although the species is not threatened with extinction, the desert locust poses a major risk to global food security. Locust invasions can affect crops and pastures over millions of hectares, causing substantial economic losses in affected countries.

References

Profile updated 08 August 2026 · Reviewed by the TunisieVet editorial team.

CONSERVATION STATUS

Not evaluated (NE)

IUCN source, latest published assessment.

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