TOPLINE
Two major locust swarms in on opposite ends of the world have raised alarms this week about the biblical damage the pests can inflict on crops as they make their way through swathes of South America and Asia.
Locusts were seen filling the sky in Ghurpur village on the outskirts of Allahabad on Friday in ... [+]
KEY FACTS
On Saturday, a swarm of desert locusts overan Gurugram, a city in India about 18 miles southwest of New Delhi, as local people were advised to make loud noises to scare off the bugs, like banging kitchen utensils together and playing loud music.
India is facing its worst locust swarm in decades, and farmers have expressed concern about how the infestation will affect their crops this summer during the next planting season.
This week, Argentina and Brazil issued warnings as a 9-square-mile locust swarm entered Argentina from Paraguay as it headed in Uruguay’s direction.
Brazil declared a “crop emergency” Friday in two states in the south just in case it makes its way into Brazil, though weather conditions indicated it was unlikely to do so and seems to be making its way toward Uruguay.
Back in May, parts of east Africa were hit by a second wave of the worst desert locust outbreak seen in 70 years, as trillions of insects descended on Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, three countries in an already vulnerable region.
Desert locusts are the most ravenous of the species and at their worst could cover 20% of land on earth and potentially jeopardize 10% of the world’s livelihood, as a locust swarm of just more than a third of a square mile can eat the same amount of food in a single day as 35,000 people, according to the United Nations.
TANGENT
Swarms of locusts in Christian traditions have typically been associated with the end of the world, stemming from a prophecy of the apocalypse recorded in the Book of Revelations, the last book of the New Testament. Locusts are mentioned throughout the Old and New Testaments.
KEY BACKGROUND
The Covid-19 pandemic has complicated locust relief. In April, Kenyan officials told AP that pandemic crackdowns slowed efforts to fight the infestation, as crossing borders became more difficult and the delivery of necessary pesticides was held up. Locusts are believed to be the oldest migratory pest in the world. While they are related to ordinary grasshoppers, they stand apart in their evolutionary ability to change behavior mid-life and form massive swarms that can migrate over far distances. Locust clouds have been recorded travelling upwards of 120 miles per day.
FURTHER READING
East Africa Braces For A Locust Outbreak Possibly 20 Times Worse Than The First (Photos) (Forbes)
