What plants does it affect?
The pest is unpretentious in food, it eats the ground parts of vegetable plants, cereals, melons, attacks orchards, berry fields, wild trees, not disdaining reed plants.
Leaves, stems, shoots, even the bark of young trees serve as food.
You can learn more about the taste preferences of the merciless insect in the section dedicated to it.
Interesting ! The older an insect gets, the more varied the food it eats becomes. Seasoned individuals are practically omnivorous.
Insect diet
For the most part, locusts spend their time on leaves, flowers, and grass. Locusts are the most vegetarians without any obvious food preferences. Most species do not care what kind of crop it is - wild or agricultural. They feed on the leaves of plants, trees, shrubs, and all ground parts of plantings. Only some species prefer herbaceous plants. During its life, an insect eats an average of 300-350 g of plant mass, and the daily volume is twice its own weight.
For some species, poisonous plants serve as food. As toxic components accumulate in the locust's body, it becomes poisonous. These individuals are characterized by bright, flashy colors, which seem to warn of the danger of everyone who wants to feast on locusts.
When insects gather in swarms, what the locusts feed on depends on the objects that come across its path. In this case, even thatched roofs and reeds, not to mention vegetables, grains, and melons, can be eaten. As eyewitnesses say, during insect attacks, locusts only devour bricks and iron.
The insect is bred as food for various exotic animals. Therefore, the question of what locusts eat at home does not surprise anyone. In insectariums they are fed twice a day with grain, green herbs, and some owners even prepare sprouted wheat for their pets.
Land protection
Surprisingly, locusts still cause great damage to humans today. In the article dedicated to the pest, you can read about how to stop attacks of its various types.
So, we have described a dangerous agricultural pest - the locust, photographs of which you can see above.
The grasshopper is an arthropod insect that belongs to the superorder New-winged insects, the order Orthoptera, the suborder Orthoptera, the superfamily grasshopper (lat. Tettigonioidea).
The Russian word “grasshopper” is considered a diminutive of the word “smith”. But, most likely, it has nothing to do with the forge, but comes from the Old Russian “izok”, meaning “June”. Almost 7 thousand known species of grasshoppers live on every continent except Antarctica. Due to such diversity, even an experienced entomologist cannot always determine the species identity of a particular individual.
The complex hearing apparatus, that is, the grasshopper's ears, is located on the shins of the insect's front legs. Thus, we can say that the grasshopper hears with its feet. The oval membranes that are located on both sides of the lower leg act as eardrums. In some species of grasshoppers, the membranes are open, in others they are closed with special caps.
Grasshoppers have noticeable sexual dimorphism: females are much larger than males and have a sickle-shaped or straight, arrow-like ovipositor. The lifespan of a grasshopper, including the egg stage, is only one season.
and chestnuts), and some of them are noted as serious agricultural pests. Unlike the same related locusts, which eat farmers' crops, grasshoppers are more beneficial. For example, they help get rid of fields that have taken a fancy to them.
In conditions of autonomous maintenance and lack of nutrients, grasshoppers have even been observed in cannibalism, that is, eating their own kind. A simple experiment showed that if you put several of these insects in a closed jar and leave them without food for a couple of days, the group will eventually suffer losses among their relatives.
It may seem surprising, but if the grasshopper does not receive its “dose” of protein and salts from ordinary food, then it does not disdain to feed on feces and carrion, and also eats its weaker relatives with appetite.
The story is told by entomologist, candidate of biological sciences Dmitry Belov.
Nutrition
Those individuals that live separately are not known for their gluttony. Over the course of its entire life, one locust can consume up to 300 grams of plants. However, when she gets into a pack, her behavior changes dramatically.
A locust invasion causes enormous harm, since, having met its relatives, the insect becomes omnivorous and begins to absorb everything it sees: reeds, reeds, fruits, grain crops, and so on.
Long flights and lack of food force the locusts to feed on their weaker relatives.
What is the difference between a locust and a grasshopper?
- The locust is an insect from the locust family, suborder short-whiskered, and grasshoppers are part of the grasshopper family, suborder long-whiskered.
- The locust's whiskers and legs are shorter than those of the grasshopper.
- Grasshoppers are predators, and locusts are herbivorous insects. Although sometimes during long flights a locust can eat a weakened individual of the same species.
- Locusts are active during the day, while grasshoppers are active at night.
- Locusts harm human agriculture, unlike harmless grasshoppers.
- Locusts lay their eggs in the soil or leaves on the ground, and in the stems of plants or under the bark of trees.
If you fight, then how?
Plants should be located away from grasshopper egg laying sites. If the green warbler nevertheless settles on the site, pesticides, means for killing beetles, and various kinds of bait with poison are used.
But there are also mechanical methods of protection: digging up the soil in the fall, and loosening the rows more often in the summer.
Today, there are already biologically pure biological products that help fight insects. They are absolutely harmless to humans and animals.
Let's not forget about the birds, for whom the grasshopper is a real delicacy. If the area has been chosen by titmice, then the jumping singers will not stay there for long.
Types of locusts, names and photographs.
(lat. Dociostaurus maroccanus) is a small insect, the body length rarely exceeds 2 cm. The color of adult individuals is reddish-brown, with small dark spots scattered over the body and an unusual light-colored cross-shaped pattern on the back. The hindquarters are pink or yellow on the thighs and red on the lower legs.
Despite their miniature size, the Moroccan locust causes enormous damage to farmland and crops, gathering in numerous hordes and destroying absolutely everything that grows on the ground in its path. This type of locust lives in Africa, Central Asia and Algeria, sultry Egypt, arid Libya and Morocco. It is found in European countries, for example, in France, Portugal, Spain, Italy and even in the Balkans.
(lat. Locusta migratoria) is a rather large insect: the body length of mature males is from 3.5 to 5 cm, for females it ranges from 4-6 cm. The color of the Asian locust varies in several colors: there are individuals of bright green, brownish, yellow-green or gray. The wings are almost colorless, except for a slightly pronounced smoky tint and the finest black veins.
We suggest you read: How does a grasshopper differ from a locust?
The thighs of the hind legs are dark brown or blue-black, the lower legs may be beige, reddish or yellow. The habitat of this type of locust covers the entire territory of Europe, Asia Minor and Central Asia, the countries of North Africa, the region of Northern China and Korea. The Asian locust also lives in the south of Russia, is found in the Caucasus, in the mountains of Kazakhstan, and in the south of Western Siberia.
(lat. Schistocerca gregaria) - an insect with a fairly large size - females reach a size of 8 cm, males are slightly smaller - 6 cm in length. The color of the desert locust is dirty yellow, the wings are brown, with many veins. The hind limbs are bright yellow. This type of locust prefers to live in the tropics and subtropics: it is found in North Africa, on the Arabian Peninsula, on the territory of Hindustan and the border regions of the Sahara.
Italian locust or Italian locust (lat. Calliptamus italicus). The body of an adult locust of this species is medium in size: in males, the body length varies from 1.4 to 2.8 cm, females can reach 4 cm in length. The wings are powerful, highly developed, with sparse veins. The colors of individuals are multifaceted: brick-red, brown, brown, sometimes pale pink tones predominate in the color.
Light longitudinal stripes and whitish spots are often visible on the main background. The hind wings and thighs of the hind limbs are pinkish, the lower legs are red or whitish, with transverse stripes of black or dark brown. The habitat of the Italian locust covers almost the entire Mediterranean zone and a significant part of Western Asia. The Italian locust lives in central Europe and Western Siberia, and lives in Altai, Iran and Afghanistan.
Rainbow locust (lat. Phymateus saxosus) is a species of locust that lives on the island of Madagascar. Incredibly bright in color and very poisonous, the rainbow locust reaches a size of 7 cm. The entire body of the insect shimmers in a variety of colors - from bright yellow to purple, blue and red, and is saturated with toxins.
The Siberian filly (lat. Gomphocerus sibiricus) is an insect of brown-brown, olive or gray-green color. The size of an adult female does not exceed 2.5 cm, males are rarely larger than 2.3 cm. The habitat is very wide: the Siberian filly lives in the mountainous areas of Central Asia and the Caucasus, is found in Mongolia and northeast China, and feels comfortable in northern regions of Russia, in particular in Siberia and northern Kazakhstan. The insect causes widespread damage to grain crops, pastures and hayfields.
The Egyptian locust (lat. Anacridium aegyptium) is one of the largest species of locust living in Europe. Females grow up to 6.5-7 cm in length, males are somewhat more modest in size - 30-55 mm. The color of the insect can be gray, light brown or greenish-olive. The hind legs are blue and the thighs are bright orange, with distinctive black markings.
The blue-winged filly (lat. Oedipoda caerulescens) is a medium-sized locust: the length of an adult female is 2.2-2.8 cm, the male is slightly smaller - 1.5-2.1 cm in length. The filly's wings are very spectacular - bright blue at the base, becoming colorless towards the top. On the surface of the graceful wings there is a beautiful pattern consisting of the thinnest radial stripes of black color.
The locust and the grasshopper may have some external similarities, but upon closer examination it turns out that they are completely different. Let's look at how a locust differs from a grasshopper.
The name of the suborders to which they belong speaks for itself: the whiskers of grasshoppers are much longer (the length of the whiskers can be more than half the body), their function is orientation in space, as well as an organ of touch.
The locust's whiskers do not perform any special role, and therefore have a purely decorative value.
Locusts feed only on plant foods, but practically without any restrictions. Therefore, locusts can be classified as insects that can best adapt to environmental changes.
The grasshopper is a carnivore and mainly feeds on other small insects, but can also eat some fruits or flowers.
A grasshopper, living in a country house or in a garden, is beneficial in that it destroys many harmful insects.
Locusts, on the contrary, under favorable conditions for their reproduction, are capable of destroying all vegetation and crops over vast areas.
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For the grasshopper, night is the hour of hunting and the time when you can chatter to your heart's content. They make their characteristic sounds using their hind legs. They most often spend the night on the branches of spreading trees, bushes or in the grass. Like other insects, they are attracted to light in the dark. During the day they prefer to hide in secluded places where they can gather in groups.
The active life of locusts begins during the day. It also makes a chirping sound, but the sound is more muffled. It lives on the ground or in the grass, most often in flocks. Rays of light are practically uninteresting to her.
The locust's head is very inactive, its muzzle is blunt-shaped, and its jaws are powerful. According to external signs, it does not radiate any aggression. An oblong, long abdomen, as if designed for digesting plant food in large quantities.
The forelimbs are very weak, intended only for support when moving. The hind limbs are short, like those of a grasshopper, but they help to jump quite a long distance.
The grasshopper has a movable head, narrow and very sharp jaws, a small muzzle, so to speak, with a predatory expression. The abdomen is small in size, but massive; this feature makes it more compact when hunting. The hind limbs are slightly longer, thanks to them, the insect moves, pushes off at the right moment and attacks prey. The front legs only serve to help when moving through the trees.
Female grasshoppers lay eggs using a special ovipositor, which is located at the back and looks like a sword. They hide their eggs inside plant stems, under tree bark or other secluded places.
Locusts lay eggs directly in the soil.
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Left: Very long antennae of a grasshopper. Center and right: examples of locusts, owners of short antennas
So, what is the difference between a grasshopper and a locust? The chief agronomist of the Russian Agricultural Center of the Republic of Dzhanbul Suleymanov explained: “Grasshoppers are predators. They are larger and fly to populated areas towards the light. They are especially attracted to small insects, which they eat. Grasshoppers eat greens in exceptional cases when there is no other food.
The main difference between a grasshopper and a locust is always its whiskers. The grasshopper's whiskers are long and thin, like those of all predatory insects. They serve as their organ of touch. But locusts, on the contrary, have short and thick whiskers - this is an olfactory organ. The locust's legs are shorter and its abdomen is more elongated, while the grasshopper's are high and located closer to the head.
Grasshoppers lay eggs using a special saber-shaped ovipositor and in secluded places, while locusts lay eggs directly in the soil. In addition, grasshoppers are most active at night, flying towards the light of the fire. Locusts, on the contrary, prefer daylight hours for their movements and chirping, located in thickets of grass or simply on the ground. You can often find whole swarms of locusts.”
Grasshoppers: male (1) and female (2)
» Arthropods » Locusts and fillies
General characteristics of the pest
Locust sizes vary from 3 to 7 cm. Females are larger than males. The body is oblong, attached to it are rigid elytra and a pair of translucent wings, which remain invisible when folded. The color is very variable and depends on the age, conditions and lifestyle that the locust leads:
- Even individuals emerging from the same oviposition may differ in coloring.
- What a locust looks like is also determined by the phase of its development.
- In the European zone, single individuals are predominantly yellow, brick, green, olive, brown in color, which helps to camouflage against the background of the surrounding vegetation.
- The older the individual, the darker its color becomes.
- If the locust joins the swarm, it acquires the same color as the rest of the team members.
The locust belongs to the order Orthoptera of the locust family.
The large head is not particularly mobile. Large crescent-shaped eyes and a rectangular, almost square muzzle of the locust give the insect a good-natured appearance. The gnawing mouthparts are represented by powerful jaws that help gnaw through even the thickest and most durable stems. The insect gnaws leaves with its upper mandibles, and only then crushes them using its lower mandibles.
A distinctive feature of locusts from their closest relatives: crickets and grasshoppers is their short whiskers, their length does not exceed half the body.
The pinkish hind legs are well developed, which allows the locust to jump at a distance of 20 times its length. It is no coincidence that insects are endowed with jumping abilities. In the larval stage, they still cannot fly and their motor capabilities are limited to crawling and jumping. Some species do not exhibit flight activity even as adults.
How long locusts live depends on environmental conditions. Rainy seasons provoke the development of fungal plant diseases, which leads to insect infection and death. Natural enemies: wild wasps, beetles, birds can also shorten life expectancy. Humans also make their contribution by destroying pests. If the locust is in optimal conditions and has not become anyone’s victim, then it can live from 8 months to 2 years, depending on the species.
Installation of cornice and filly
A roof with this element is a little more complicated. The fillies are boards with a cross section of 150*30 mm or 100*30 mm. Also for this element, trimmings of rafter beams can be used, which will be attached to the rafters with the wider side. During installation of fillets, orientation occurs along the brickwork or level.
After installing the fillies, hemming boards are attached to them. The result of this procedure is a box with a horizontal lower part. Then you can move on to decorating the box according to the general style of the house or the wishes of its owner.
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When installing the cornice, you need to understand that the roof must “breathe”. This means that warm air enters the part of the roof under the eaves. After this, the air, passing the rafters, sheathing and the roofing material itself, comes out. This allows for proper ventilation, which dries the roof well, protecting it from condensation accumulation and extending its overall service life.
There are several types of hemmed cornices with fillies. The simplest method is to lay a triangular cornice. In addition to ease of installation, it is distinguished by the absence of unpleasant humming during winter blizzards, which is inherent in other types of cornices.
