Desert locustNymph of Locust (Schistocera americana) with distinct wing-rudiments
Discover great deals on the many hard to find and one of a kind items available only on ebay!

This site contains sponsored affiliate links.

Locust

Locust is the name given to the swarming phase of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae. more...

HomeHome
AmphibianAmphibian
ArthropodArthropod
AntAnt
AphidAphid
BedbugBedbug
BeeBee
BeetleBeetle
Black WidowBlack Widow
BumblebeeBumblebee
CentipedeCentipede
CrabCrab
CricketCricket
Daddy LonglegsDaddy Longlegs
DragonflyDragonfly
EarthwormEarthworm
EarwigEarwig
FireflyFirefly
GlowwormGlowworm
GnatGnat
GrasshopperGrasshopper
Hermit CrabHermit Crab
HornetHornet
KatydidKatydid
LadybugLadybug
LiceLice
LobsterLobster
LocustLocust
MayflyMayfly
MillipedeMillipede
MosquitoMosquito
MothMoth
Praying MantisPraying Mantis
ScarabScarab
ScorpionScorpion
Sea MonkeySea Monkey
ShrimpShrimp
SpiderSpider
TarantulaTarantula
TickTick
TrilobiteTrilobite
WaspWasp
Wolf SpiderWolf Spider
YellowjacketYellowjacket
BirdBird
CatCat
DinosaurDinosaur
DogDog
FishFish
MammalMammal
MythologicalMythological
ReptileReptile


The origins and apparent extinction of certain species of locust—some of which reach 6 inches (15 cm) in length—are unclear.

There are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory. They form bands as nymphs and swarms as adults both of which travel great distances during which they can strip fields rapidly and in so doing greatly damage crop yields. An exacerbating factor in the damage to crops caused by locusts is their ability to adapt to eating almost any food plant.

Some examples of Locust species are:-

  • Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria)
  • Red locust (Nomadracis septemfasciata)
  • Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera)
  • Desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), probably the most important in terms of its very wide distribution (North Africa, Middle East, and Indian subcontinent) and its ability to migrate very widely.
  • Rocky Mountain locust (Melanoplus spretus) in North America had some of the largest recorded swarms, but died out in the late 19th century.

Though the female and the male look alike at a distance they can be distiguished by looking at the end of their abdomen. Male has a blunt end while the female has a more pointed lip like structure.

There is a theory that the Rocky Mountain locust died out because between swarmings it bred in the eastern valleys of the Rocky Mountains, until large numbers of miners went to the area, attracted by valuable metal ores; to feed those miners, the valley bottoms in the area were ploughed up and farmed, destroying large numbers of the locusts' buried eggs.

Locusts in history and literature

According to the Bible, a swarm of locusts comprised the eighth plague in the story of the plagues of Egypt. In the Book of Revelation locusts with scorpion tails and human faces are to torment unbelievers for five months when the fifth trumpet sounds. One Old Testament book, Joel, is written in the context of a recent locust plague. Interestingly, the locusts are described in four different ways - "swarming locusts, cutting locusts, hopping locusts and destroying locusts." Although these were identified by the old Authorised Version as four different creatures, modern translations correctly identify them as four kinds of locusts. This fits with the many molts (called instars) that locusts go through. For example, the "hopper" probably denotes the larval stage (the first instar), the wings are not developed and the larva hops about. For more information about the locusts in Joel, see Raymond Dillard in Minor Prophets Vol 1, ed Thomas McComiskey.

In Plato's Phaedrus Socrates says that locusts were once human. When the Muses first brought song into the world, the beauty so captivated some people that they forgot to eat and drink until they died. The Muses turned those unfortunate souls into locusts—singing their entire lives.

In her novel On the Banks of Plum Creek Laura Ingalls Wilder writes of a "glittering cloud" of locusts so large it blocked out the sun as it approached. The swarm descended upon her family's farm near Walnut Grove, Minnesota, destroying a year's wheat crop, and stripping the prairie bare of all vegetation.

In O.E. Rølvaag's Giants in the Earth, a novel about Norwegian pioneers on the Dakota prairie, these creatures decend upon the settlement of Spring Creek. He masterfully describes the onslaught: "And now from out the sky gushed down with cruel force a living, pulsating stream, striking the backs of the helpless folk like pebbles thrown by an unseen hand; but that which fell out of the heavens was not pebbles, nor raindrops, nor hail for it would have lain inanimate where it fell; this substance had no sooner fallen that in popped up again, crackling, and snapping--rose up and disappeared in the twinkling of an eye; it flared and flittered around them like light gone mad; it chirped and buzzed through the air; it snapped and hopped along the ground; the whole place was a weltering turmoil of raging little demons; if one looked for a moment into the wind one saw nothing but glittering, lightinglike flashes--flashes that came and went, in the heart of the cloud made up of innumerable dark-brown clicking bodies!"

Latest findings

The extinction of the Rocky mountain locust has been a source of puzzlement; recent research suggests that the breeding grounds of this insect, in the valleys of the Rocky Mountains, came under sustained agriculture, destroying the underground eggs of the locust.

Research at Cambridge University has identified the swarming behaviour is a response to overcrowding. The trigger is increased tactile stimulation of the hind legs. Several contacts per minute over a four hour period are sufficient to induce transformation to the swarming variety.

Read more at Wikipedia.org


[List your site here Free!]

Memento Mori Shirt | Human Skull T-Shirt | Atheist | Goth ShirtMemento Mori Shirt | Human Skull T-Shirt | Atheist | Goth Shirt $16.02 to Rare - Two Cambrian fossils of Kunmingella douvillei early arthropodRare - Two Cambrian fossils of Kunmingella douvillei early arthropod $80.00
Rare Fossil Insect From The Early Jurassic Of Deerfield Basin MassachusettsRare Fossil Insect From The Early Jurassic Of Deerfield Basin Massachusetts $45.00 Rare complete 4cm Hydrocephalus vikensis negative;Cambrian, SwedenRare complete 4cm Hydrocephalus vikensis negative;Cambrian, Sweden $49.50
Trilobite Hollardops Mesocristata Devonian 393 Million Yrs. OldTrilobite Hollardops Mesocristata Devonian 393 Million Yrs. Old $66.00 Large, Inflated Pseudodechenella Trilobite Fossil In Limestone, New York State!Large, Inflated Pseudodechenella Trilobite Fossil In Limestone, New York State! $369.99
Trilobite Fossil MultipleTrilobite Fossil Multiple $35.00 Trilobite Zlichovaspis Fossil - Lhandar, MoroccoTrilobite Zlichovaspis Fossil - Lhandar, Morocco $290.00
Trilobite Asaphellus + Lonchodomas Fossil Ordovician Morocco ArthropodsTrilobite Asaphellus + Lonchodomas Fossil Ordovician Morocco Arthropods $175.00 New ListingEurypterusNew ListingEurypterus $500.00
Flexicalymene Moroccan Trilobites One (1) - Morocco 400 Mill Yrs.Flexicalymene Moroccan Trilobites One (1) - Morocco 400 Mill Yrs. $19.99 Very Rare Large Cretaceous Arthropod Fossil Hoploparia Sp. Lobster From MontanaVery Rare Large Cretaceous Arthropod Fossil Hoploparia Sp. Lobster From Montana $150.00
Rare Lateral Misszhouia Naraoiid Arthropod, Lower Cambrian of ChengjiangRare Lateral Misszhouia Naraoiid Arthropod, Lower Cambrian of Chengjiang $31.86 Flexicalymene retrorsa Trilobite Roller Fossil Ordovician Ohio Arnheim FmFlexicalymene retrorsa Trilobite Roller Fossil Ordovician Ohio Arnheim Fm $16.00
Fossil Trilobite Cluster New York Devonian Eighteenmile Creek Eldredgops RanaFossil Trilobite Cluster New York Devonian Eighteenmile Creek Eldredgops Rana $45.00 Zoro Select 2Ggj2 84 In X 90 Ft X 1 In Polyester Air Filter Roll, Merv 7,Zoro Select 2Ggj2 84 In X 90 Ft X 1 In Polyester Air Filter Roll, Merv 7, $426.99
Dinosaur age Fossil Burmite Amber with Rare Huge Centipede! Authenticity Tested!Dinosaur age Fossil Burmite Amber with Rare Huge Centipede! Authenticity Tested! $119.99 Fossil Insect From The Green River Formation Northwestern Colorado Eocene AgeFossil Insect From The Green River Formation Northwestern Colorado Eocene Age $24.99
Cicada T-Shirt | Entomology | Insect T-Shirt | Gothic Clothing | Nu GothCicada T-Shirt | Entomology | Insect T-Shirt | Gothic Clothing | Nu Goth $16.02 to Asaphus Kowalewskii Trilobite Russian Long Eyes 18 mmAsaphus Kowalewskii Trilobite Russian Long Eyes 18 mm $179.00
Genuine Fossil Insect Inclusion in Burmese amber - Price per pieceGenuine Fossil Insect Inclusion in Burmese amber - Price per piece $9.95 Near Flawless Professionally Prepared Devonian Phacops Fossil Trilobite MoroccoNear Flawless Professionally Prepared Devonian Phacops Fossil Trilobite Morocco $90.00
Museum Grade Fuxianhuia Arthropod with Eyes, Lower Cambrian of ChengjiangMuseum Grade Fuxianhuia Arthropod with Eyes, Lower Cambrian of Chengjiang $65.76 3 Inch Isotelus Trilobite Fossil Unknown Origin3 Inch Isotelus Trilobite Fossil Unknown Origin $350.00
New ListingPartial Arctinurus boltoni Trilobite Fossil New York Rare Trilobite FossilNew ListingPartial Arctinurus boltoni Trilobite Fossil New York Rare Trilobite Fossil $600.00 Trilobite Walliserops trifurcatus Fossil Arthropods Devonian MoroccoTrilobite Walliserops trifurcatus Fossil Arthropods Devonian Morocco $1,100.00
Baby Fossils Set Of TwentyBaby Fossils Set Of Twenty $3.61 Ultra Rare Acutiramus (Pterygotus) Eurypterid W/Both Claws Preserved - Complete!Ultra Rare Acutiramus (Pterygotus) Eurypterid W/Both Claws Preserved - Complete! $1,199.99
Larger! Elrathia Trilobite Fossil 100% Natural From Cambrian Utah 425gr *CLarger! Elrathia Trilobite Fossil 100% Natural From Cambrian Utah 425gr *C $59.99 Chengjiang. Rare and big Tuzoia sp.Chengjiang. Rare and big Tuzoia sp. $250.00
Zoro Select 5C428 25 In X 85 Ft X 1 In Fiberglass Air Filter Roll, Merv 7,Zoro Select 5C428 25 In X 85 Ft X 1 In Fiberglass Air Filter Roll, Merv 7, $85.75 1Pc 2” Calymene Trilobite Fossil Natural Fossilized Mineral Specimen - Morocco1Pc 2” Calymene Trilobite Fossil Natural Fossilized Mineral Specimen - Morocco $4.99
Premium Mississippean Breviphillipsia sampsoni Trilobite - Missouri!Premium Mississippean Breviphillipsia sampsoni Trilobite - Missouri! $52.00 Exquisite insect fossils from the Jurassic Daohugou periodExquisite insect fossils from the Jurassic Daohugou period $249.99
25 Peronopsis Fossil Trilobites Loose25 Peronopsis Fossil Trilobites Loose $12.75 Elrathia Peronopsis Multiple Trilobite Fossil #2Elrathia Peronopsis Multiple Trilobite Fossil #2 $7.00
Trilobite Redlichia Fossil Cambrian Morocco ArthropodsTrilobite Redlichia Fossil Cambrian Morocco Arthropods $430.00 Gorgeous Phacops Rana Trilobite Plate Penn Dixie Quarry New York DevonianGorgeous Phacops Rana Trilobite Plate Penn Dixie Quarry New York Devonian $165.00
Trilobite Fossil (Calymene celebra) - Jersey Co., IllinoisTrilobite Fossil (Calymene celebra) - Jersey Co., Illinois $35.00 Zoro Select 4Wz66 Air Filter Roll, 48 In X 135 Ft X 1 In, Merv 7, Blue/White,Zoro Select 4Wz66 Air Filter Roll, 48 In X 135 Ft X 1 In, Merv 7, Blue/White, $296.99
Zoro Select 2Jrx7 48 In X 90 Ft X 1 In Polyester Air Filter Roll, Merv 8,Zoro Select 2Jrx7 48 In X 90 Ft X 1 In Polyester Air Filter Roll, Merv 8, $332.99 Early arthropod fossil from 6 pound Western Pennsylvania stone -5.5"Early arthropod fossil from 6 pound Western Pennsylvania stone -5.5" $25.00
1.75 Inch Isotelus maximus Trilobite Fossil From Mt. Orab Ohio1.75 Inch Isotelus maximus Trilobite Fossil From Mt. Orab Ohio $700.00 Trilobite Declivolithus titan Fossil Middle Cambrian Morocco ArthropodsTrilobite Declivolithus titan Fossil Middle Cambrian Morocco Arthropods $190.00
Rare Pectocaris Bivalved Arthropod, Lower Cambrian of ChengjiangRare Pectocaris Bivalved Arthropod, Lower Cambrian of Chengjiang $26.36 Dicranurus Trilobite FossilDicranurus Trilobite Fossil $149.99
Early Cambrian bivalved arthropod Tuzoia sinensis fossilEarly Cambrian bivalved arthropod Tuzoia sinensis fossil $120.00 Large Flat Of Lower Cambrian Fossils - Olenellus, Wanneria Trilos, Camptostroma!Large Flat Of Lower Cambrian Fossils - Olenellus, Wanneria Trilos, Camptostroma! $89.99
Beautiful, Large Natural Double Prone Eldredgeops Rana From Ny - No Restoration!Beautiful, Large Natural Double Prone Eldredgeops Rana From Ny - No Restoration! $249.99 Very Rare, Big Raymondites Trilobite, Lateral Pose with Spines! Ontario, CanadaVery Rare, Big Raymondites Trilobite, Lateral Pose with Spines! Ontario, Canada $385.21
Zoro Select 4Wz67 16 In X 90 Ft X 1 In Polyester Air Filter Roll, Merv 7,Zoro Select 4Wz67 16 In X 90 Ft X 1 In Polyester Air Filter Roll, Merv 7, $63.59 Trilobite Fossil Big and 100% Natural From Cambrian Utah 5.22Trilobite Fossil Big and 100% Natural From Cambrian Utah 5.22 $16.99
Trilobite FossilTrilobite Fossil $25.00 Very Large Prone Eldredgeops Crassi Trilobite From Sylvania, Ohio - Impressive!Very Large Prone Eldredgeops Crassi Trilobite From Sylvania, Ohio - Impressive! $499.99
New ListingHarpes Trilobite Fossil Devonian Morocco Arthropod FossilNew ListingHarpes Trilobite Fossil Devonian Morocco Arthropod Fossil $200.00
Click to see more Locust items at www.ebay.com
Prices current as of last update, 07/11/25 12:21am.

Home Contact Resources Exchange Links eBay