Schistocerca gregaria
- Pronunciation
- /shis-toh-SER-kah greh-GAH-ree-ah/
- Category
- Taxonomy
- Singular
- Schistocerca gregaria
- Plural
- Schistocerca gregaria
Definition
A of short-horned ( ) renowned for extreme phenotypic plasticity between solitary and gregarious phases, the latter forming devastating locust across northern and eastern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, and southwest Asia. The exhibits -dependent : crowding triggers a multi-generational shift from a sedentary, cryptically colored, shorter-winged solitary morph to a swarming, brightly colored, long-winged gregarious morph capable of migrating hundreds of kilometers. These phase changes involve coordinated alterations in , neurophysiology, coloration, and wing allometry, making S. gregaria a classic model for studying epigenetic regulation of complex phenotypes in insects.
Etymology
From Greek schistos (split, divided) + kerkos (tail), referring to the divided male ; epithet gregaria (Latin: belonging to a flock/herd) denotes the swarming habit.
Example
During the 2019–2021 East African , gregarious-phase Schistocerca gregaria swarms originating from the Horn of Africa crossed the Red Sea, threatening agricultural production across the Arabian Peninsula and prompting international coordination through the Food and Agriculture Organization's Information Service.
Synonyms
Related Terms
- phase polyphenism
- gregarious phase
- solitary phase
- locust plague
- Schistocerca
- Acrididae
- density-dependent prophylaxis
- phenotypic plasticity
- outbreak area
- recession area
Usage Notes
The specific epithet is often misspelled 'gragaria' in older literature. S. g. flaviventris (yellow-bellied ) is recognized in some taxonomic treatments but frequently synonymized. Contrast with and S. cancellata, New World relatives that show weaker phase plasticity. In ecological and agricultural contexts, 'desert locust' typically refers specifically to the gregarious phase or , though technically the term encompasses both phases of the .