Locusts are large insects and convenient for research and classroom study of zoology. They are edible by humans. They have been eaten throughout history and are considered a delicacy in many countries.

Jan 10, 2026 · Locust, any of a group of insects, usually short-horned grasshoppers, in the family Acrididae known for their destructive migratory swarm phase.

Locusts look like ordinary grasshoppers—most notably, they both have big hind legs that help them hop or jump. They sometimes share the solitary lifestyle of a grasshopper, too.

Aug 14, 2025 · What Are Locusts? Locusts are a type of grasshopper in the Orthoptera order, which also includes crickets, katydids, and other straight-winged insects. Most locusts are part of the …

May 27, 2024 · Locusts are grasshoppers capable of shifting into a swarming (gregarious) phase, forming dense migratory bands and aerial swarms that can devastate vegetation and crops. In …

Aug 25, 2020 · Locusts are described by their two dramatically different behavior patterns: Either docile and solitary, or active and sociable, forming gigantic, ravenous swarms.

Aug 22, 2025 · Locusts are specific species of short-horned grasshoppers (family Acrididae) that can undergo a dramatic transformation, rather than a distinct taxonomic group. Most grasshoppers live …

Locusts are a type of grasshopper —long and slender insects belonging to the order Orthoptera and typically with long, strong hind limbs for leaping and powerful mouthparts for chewing.

There are thousands of grasshopper species but only a handful of those are considered locusts. When conditions are favorable, the unique biology of locusts allows them to shift from a solitary to a …

Sep 18, 2002 · For the most part, the insect known as Schistocerca gregaria goes quietly about its inscrutable insect business, a solitary and inconspicuous brown speck concealed in clumps of widely …