The English word "locust" or locust comes from the Vulgar Latin word locusta, which means lobster or locust.
Photo: Desert locusts
Locusts are basically a type of insect. It is a special species of small horn in the family Archididae. These insects usually live alone. But in special cases they gather together. There is no distinct taxonomy between locusts and grasshoppers. The main difference is the unique tendency of their species to combine under special conditions. It is found in countries where the temperature is 40 degrees Celsius or above.
Why do they come out in groups?
These grasshoppers are harmless when they are alone, they are few in number and do not cause any huge financial loss to agriculture. However, the rapid growth of the crop after the drought, the serotonin (serotonin) in their brain initiates behavioral changes in them. As a result, they started giving birth in large numbers and quickly. Then they stay together, when their numbers are high they become nomads. It contains small wingless locusts which later join the group as wings are born. These wingless and winged locusts move together and quickly damage the crop field. Adult locusts are powerful flying squirrels that can fly long distances and gain strength by eating crops wherever they stop on the way.
A swarm of 10 million locusts can eat the food of 35,000 people in one day. April is considered to be the time of locust breeding. This month the locusts begin to reproduce anew.
How terrible is this locust?
In 1993, Pakistan was attacked by locusts on a large scale. This step marked the first locust attack in Pakistan in March 2019. It later spread over an area of 900,000 hectares in the provinces of Sindh, South Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Crops and plants worth crores of rupees are damaged.
Apart from India and Pakistan, Saudi Arabia is also under attack by locusts. Local media say the insect attack has created a dire situation for those involved in the country's agricultural sector.
The UN Commission on Human Rights has asked for a 7 million grant to address the situation in Africa. Mark Lock, head of the agency, said the horrific locusts were destroying crops at an alarming rate in Africa. Families that are already short of food are therefore in even more trouble.
Mention of locusts in religious texts
The history of locusts is very old. Pictures of it can be seen in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians. The Iliad of Greece also mentions this insect. Scriptures such as the Bible and the Qur'an speak of locusts. The scriptures describe this insect as a punishment from God.
Remedial measures
The use of pesticides in air or soil to control locusts is common. However, UN experts believe that the use of pesticides alone will not work in the horrors of locusts in Africa. Therefore, the organization called on the international community to come forward to deal with the situation.
Analysts are blaming climate change for the situation caused by locust attacks. Keith Chrisman, the UN's locust forecasting officer, said the locusts had fled to Africa due to heavy rains caused by the cyclone in the Oman desert. "We know this insect came from a cyclone," he said. The number of cyclones in the Indian Ocean has increased in the last 10 years.
These locusts threaten food security
The last time Pakistan faced a massive locust attack was in 1993. This was the first locust attack in Pakistan in March 2019. It later spread over an area of nine lakh hectares in the provinces of Sindh, South Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Crops and crops worth crores of rupees are damaged.
The UN has already warned; Locust attacks in East Africa, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, could lead to a humanitarian crisis. Insect attacks in Djibouti and Eritrea pose an unprecedented threat to food security.
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