Australian plague locust

Definition

A medium-sized, highly mobile acridid grasshopper native to Australia that exhibits density-dependent phase polyphenism, forming swarms that cause extensive agricultural damage across the continent's semi-arid inland and southern cropping regions. The species is distinguished from non-swarming grasshoppers by its capacity for rapid population increase and long-distance migration triggered by rainfall and vegetation flushes.

Etymology

Example

During the 2010–2011 outbreak, Australian plague locust swarms migrated from the Channel Country of Queensland through New South Wales to Victoria, damaging winter cereal crops over an area exceeding 500,000 hectares and triggering coordinated aerial spraying operations.

Synonyms

• Chortoicetes terminifera

Related Terms

• phase polyphenism
• gregarious phase
• solitary phase
• locust swarm
• outbreak area
• Acrididae
• density-dependent phenotypic plasticity
• plague locust
• migratory locust

Usage Notes

The common name refers specifically to Chortoicetes terminifera, one of three locust species monitored by the Australian Plague Locust Commission; it should not be confused with the Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) or Spur-throated locust (Austracris guttulosa), which also occur in Australia but differ in distribution, morphology, and outbreak dynamics. The term 'plague locust' in this context denotes economic impact rather than taxonomic rank.