Special Issue "Locusts and Grasshoppers: Bionomics, Distribution, and Population Management"

Dear Colleagues,

Locusts, grasshoppers and other orthopteran insects are an intrinsic part of grassland ecosystems. Among them, locusts have been notorious pests since the dawn of agriculture. Infamous for their voracity, fecundity and transboundary migratory capabilities, they often damage crop fields and rangelands and thus jeopardize national and regional food security. The eruptive character of their long-term dynamics determines extremely irregular outbreaks. Despite numerous and diverse studies, we still do not fully understand which changes and relationships trigger outbreak development. At the same time, grasshoppers and other orthopterans are one of the most widely distributed and abundant groups of animals over grasslands. They consume the majority of primary production, intensify the local fluxes of matter and energy, accelerate plant growth and provide other ecosystem services. Many rare and endemic orthopterans deserve conservation efforts; at the same time, locust outbreaks may develop within the habitats of rare species. This means there are contradictions between approaches of plant protection and those of conservation biology. Conservation strategy can prevent or limit anti-locust treatments, especially those with insecticides. The problem of locust invasions is also real and has become even more severe due to climate change. This is why we should develop innovative approaches to safeguard the ecosystem services of orthopteran insects and, if necessary, apply economically and environmentally acceptable measures to manage their populations.

Prof. Dr. Alexandre V. Latchininsky
Prof. Dr. Michael G. Sergeev
Guest Editors

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• locust
• grasshopper
• Orthoptera
• bioecology
• rare species conservation
• pest management
• climate change