Pest, Plagues & Politics Lecture 18 Locust Plagues

Key Points: Locust Plagues Historical perspective European/African Locusts American Locusts Grasshopper VS locust Development of controls

The fields are ruined; Despair you farmers; “They have left my fig trees broken; The fields are ruined; Despair you farmers; Like a blackness spread upon the mountains a great and powerful army comes.” Joel, chapter 1

Depictions of locust plagues in the USA http://www.roundtree7.com/2012/04/alberts-swarm/

A thing of the past?? 2002-12 – Locust Plagues Afghanistan Kazakhstan China Chad Australia Grasshopper problems in mid-western U.S. http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gbDXumh4HxdqmVQyWMmdt-z8k6mw?docId=CNG.a7f5868b3661b5beedfbba67acac7c9c.5b1

A thing of the past?? http://en.tengrinews.kz/kazakhstan_news/Tajik-locusts-threaten-Kazakhstan-crops-2463/

West Wind East Wind

Invasion area: where they breed and come from, usually more resources Recession area: areas they go to http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022191010001460

Grasshopper Glacier located 70 miles southwest of Billings, MT http://formontana.net/grasshopper.html

Locust in Oregon??? {absolutely} For many thousands of years before there was a “political” Oregon. Melanoplus spretus - the Rocky Mt. Locust Now extinct!! Evidence of locust swarms found in Wyoming glacial deposits which are 840 ± 85 yrs B.P. Locust remains in layers measured in feet!!

1874 Rocky Mt. Locust “Plague” http://wyofile.com/2010/11/3507/

Another flick from 1975 But “locusts” are only a metaphor

Locust Philately

Here she is: Schistocerca gregaria The infamous Desert Locust

Orthoptera Taxonomy or what’s the dif Orthoptera Taxonomy or what’s the dif. Between a grasshopper and a locust Order Orthoptera (straight wing) 30,000 species includes the grasshoppers, locusts, katydids & crickets family: Acrididae (most grasshoppers & locust) 8,000 species worldwide with only a FEW as pests A locust is a MIGRATORY & GREGARIOUS grasshopper.

Locust Notorious creatures with a long history of human interactions One of the putative biblical plagues Biblical references: 10 for grasshoppers 24 for locusts Ergo, these insects were very familiar to ancient civilizations.

Grasshoppers & Locust Univoltine Hemimetabolous (incomplete metamorphosis) egg; nymph (normally 5 nymphal stages) - adult Over-winter in the egg stage Locusts are found on every continent (well, with the exception of Antarctica) Melanoplus devastator - the devastating grasshopper

*Grasshopper to Locust Transition http://michaelscomments.wordpress.com/2009/09/19/cicadas-vs-periodic-cicadas-vs-grasshoppers-vs-locusts/

PNW Grasshopper/Locust Control Philosophy (ODA et alia) Control programs began in the 1930ties sodium arsenite (a dry bait) sodium fluosilicate (as a wet bait) nicotine sulfate killed grasshoppers effictively as well as three applicators one day in the Ephrata area of Washington in 1939 Post WWII into the early 1960ties widespread use of CHs (dieldrin, aldrin, chlordane & heptachlor)

19th Century American control Locust collecting device 19th Century American control

Flag wavers guide immature locusts into trap

Grasshopper/Locust Control Philosophy (ODA et alia) Era of CH use standard rate of application was 1/2 oz. per acre mixed in 1 gal. of diesel oil residual buildup a big problem in environmentally sensitive areas such as the Malheur Wildlife Refuge 33,000 acres treated with dieldrin in 1962 against the clear-wing grasshopper (Camula pellucida)

Grasshopper/Locust Control Philosophy (ODA et alia) Mid-1960ties A move away from chlorinated hydrocarbons to the “hot” organosphosphate materials. e.g., malathion The inclusion of the carbamate family of insecticides e.g. Sevin

Oregon Grasshopper Control History

Oregon Grasshopper Control History 2008 1,130,000 acres considered infested at an economic level Average infestation was 29 GH/sqy Treatments used a 5% Sevin bait & Dimilin in environmental sensitive areas (Malheur)

Oregon Grasshopper Control History - Conclusions Reliance on one method of control CHEMICAL Control programs in northeast, south central and eastern Oregon regions of lowest human density agriculturally based regions

Wiser use of insecticides Western range lands 50 species of grasshoppers Of which 9 cause 95% of the damage Economic thresholds 8 to 40 hoppers per square yard Chemicals most frequently used: Malathion Penn-cap M Sevin RAAT

*RAAT Reduce Agent/Area Treatment One-half of the normal insecticide dosage on one-half of the acreage.

Newer control methods Bio-cides Entomopathogenic agents Nosema locusta A microsporidian that targets Orthoptera Metarhizium anisopliae A fungus that targets Orthoptera

Key Points: Locust Plagues Historical perspective European/African Locusts American Locusts Grasshopper VS locust Development of controls