What is the desert locust?
Q: What is the desert locust?
A: The desert locust is a species of locust.
Q: What is the threat of desert locusts?
A: Plagues of desert locusts threaten agricultural production in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, and the livelihood of one-tenth of the world’s human population may be affected by this voracious insect.
Q: When do destructive swarms of locusts form?
A: The destructive swarms of locusts do not form every year, but only when conditions are right for them.
Q: Why is the desert locust potentially the most dangerous of the locust pests?
A: The desert locust is potentially the most dangerous of the locust pests because of the ability of swarms to fly rapidly across great distances.
Q: How many generations does the desert locust have per year?
A: The desert locust has two to five generations per year.
Q: What was the impact of the last major desert locust upsurge in 2004-05?
A: The last major desert locust upsurge in 2004-05 caused crop loss in West Africa and reduced food supply in the area.
Q: Is the desert locust solely responsible for famines?
A: No, the desert locust alone is not responsible for famines, but it is a contributing factor.
