Locust 1 (Orthoptera: Acrididae) Outbreak in Africa and Asia, 1992–1994: An Overview

Abstract

Desert locust, SclJistocerca gregaria (Forskill), began to exhibit gregarious behavior and amassed into swarms in the fall of 1992 along the Red Sea coast; successive generations of gregarious locusts over the next 18 mo gave rise to localized outbreaks west to Mauritania and east to India. Concurrent African migratory locust, Locusta migratoria migratorioides (Reiche & Fairmaire), and tree locust, Anacridium melallorhodoll (Walker) outbreaks compounded the locust infestations in the Horn of Africa. Evolution of the overall outbreak is described, including ways in which locusts were found and controlled. Preparation and lack of armed conflict in critical locust breeding areas, particularly in Eritrea and the Red Sea coast of Sudan, facilitated early intervention with relatively selective and low residual insecticides. Preventive, proactive, and reactive locust control approaches are described, and future trends for locust management in Africa and Asia are identified. Sustained and successful preventive and proactive approaches, especially against S. gregaria would help to alleviate a serious constraint to agricultural production with the aim of reducing localized famine in regions chronically plagued by drought, poverty, and hunger.