Grasshoppers in Wayanad not a sign of locust swarm: expert

Swarms are usually much more visible than hopper bands

The Tree Health Helpline of Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has found that the grasshopper attack in some parts of the Wayanad district is not the sign of a locust swarm attack.

Some media had reported that there was a swarm of locusts in Wayanad that had the potential to become a serious problem and many agencies recommended pesticide application.

The field observations conducted by Dhaneesh Bhaskar, a researcher of KFRI, recently revealed that the “coffee locusts” (Aularches miliaris) do not belong to the locust family and that they are a grasshopper species belonging to the Pyrgomorphidae family.

The locusts that recently invaded northwestern and central India are Schistocerca gregaria, belonging to the Acrididae family, which are commonly called desert locusts, Mr. Bhaskar, who is also a member of the Species Survival Commission (Grasshopper Specialist Group) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), said.

There are several grasshopper species that are loosely called locusts and the Aularches miliaris is usually spotted in coffee plantations. This is why the grasshopper is termed ‘coffee locust’, he said.

“What we observed in Wayanad is a smaller aggregation (hopper bands) of grasshoppers that is largely misconceived as early signs of locust swarms. The swarms are usually much more visible than hopper bands,” Mr. Bhaskar said.

All not pests

It should also be noted that all grasshoppers were not pests, he said.

“Among the 28,500 grasshopper species, around 500 across the globe are considered as pests that can cause damage to pastures and crops, and about 50 are considered as significant pests. Aularches miliaris is nowhere on this list, and are a minor pest causing occasional economic damage. This species is listed as lower risk and near-threatened for South India on the IUCN regional conservation status assessment. Hence, severe pest management strategies are not to be suggested at this stage of infestation,” he added.