Week 7 - Plagues and Diseases Flashcards
Key Points: Locust Plagues
- Historical perspective
- European/African locusts
- American locusts
- Grasshopper vs. locust
- Development of controls
Historical perspective (where cited)
- Book of Joel: quote regarding broken trees, ruined fields, a “great and powerful army”
Locations where plagues noted between 2002-2012
Afghanistan Kazakhstan China Chad Australia US (grasshoppers)
How African/Mid-East plagues originate
Originate in Saudi Arabia, move on east winds into northern Africa. At end of season, move back on west winds to Saudi Arabia
Where is Grasshopper Glacier?
70 miles SW of Billings
Significance of Grasshopper Glacier
“Recordings” of grasshoppers in ice dating back 1000’s of years
Other evidence of grasshopper plagues in US (2 states)
Evidence dating back 1000’s of years in Oregon
Grasshoppers in ice in Wyoming glaciers to a depth of several feet, from about 840 years ago
Scope of 1874 Rocky Mountain locust plague
Northern Canada through Montana, Wyoming, over to Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Dakotas, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Main species of locust
Desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria
Orthoptera taxonomy points (# species, example groups, Family)
- about 30,000 species
- includes grasshoppers, katydids, locusts, crickets
- Family: Acrididae (most grasshoppers and locusts, about 8000 species worldwide)
Locust characteristics compared to a grasshopper
A locust is a migratory and gregarious (lives in groups) grasshopper
Biblical references of grasshoppers and locusts
10 grasshoppers, 24 locusts (very common in ancient days)
Grasshopper and Locust similarities
- Univoltine
- hemimetabolous
- over-winter in the egg stage
- found on every continent but Antarctica
Univoltine
One generation per growing season
Differences: grasshoppers
- Solitary
- Lighter in color
- Longer hind legs
- Sedentary
- Shorter wings
