Abstract:

Locusts are the group of different species of short horned grasshoppers belonging to the family Acrididae (Order: Orthoptera). These are a special type of grasshoppers having the capacity of changing their habits and behavior when in large numbers and are regarded as a major threat to agriculture from the beginning of human civilization. Locusts are generally differentiated from grasshoppers with their swarm forming ability, body shape, size and color changing morphological characters. When adult locusts are in large numbers, they show gregarious behavior called swarms. Similarly, gregarious behavior shown by larval stage (hopper) is called as bands. Swarms of desert locust can fly large distances up to 150 km in the direction of wind, containing a group of millions and billions of individuals. Moreover, bands formed by S. gregaria hopper can march up to 1.5 km in a day (FAO, 2020). Keywords: Integrated Management Practices, Desert Locust, India