Research news on locusts (order)

Locusts are short-horned grasshoppers belonging primarily to the order Orthoptera and family Acrididae that exhibit density-dependent phase polyphenism, transitioning between solitarious and gregarious phases. In their gregarious phase, they form large, migratory swarms driven by neuroendocrine and sensory mechanisms responsive to crowding, tactile stimulation, and olfactory cues. Locusts possess mandibulate mouthparts adapted for phytophagy, saltatorial hind legs for jumping, and two pairs of wings enabling long-distance flight. Their life cycle is hemimetabolous, comprising egg, nymphal instars, and adult stages, with developmental rates strongly influenced by temperature and moisture, and they serve as important model organisms in studies of population dynamics, neurobiology, and phenotypic plasticity.