Italian locust (Calliptamus italicus)

Calliptamus italicus Italian locust
Distribution
Taxonomy
Family:	Acrididae
Subfamily:	Calliptaminae
Genus:	Calliptamus
Additional resources
Full taxonomy at OSF
Sound recordings
Listen to this species at xeno-canto!

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The Italian locust (Calliptamus italicus) is found throughout western Europe and central Asia. This species has been reported as a pest since medieval times and outbreaks still occur commonly today. In the Siberian steppe this locust can reach densities of over 20 million individuals per hectare.

Nomenclature

Calliptamus italicus (Linnaeus, 1758). For full nomenclature, see this taxon's page on Orthoptera Species File

Identification

Phase	Stage	Color	Wings	Legs
Gregarious	nymph
Gregarious	immature adult
Gregarious	mature adult
Solitarious	nymph
Solitarious	immature adult
Solitarious	adult

Identification resources

Name	Year published	Resource link	Descriptive keyword	Language	Geographic purview	Author	Year published
Orthoptera Species File		View	Species identification, Biology	English		Orthoptera Species File Online

Distribution

The Italian Locust (also known as the stout-bodied grasshopper) is found throughout Western Europe and Central Asia.

For more information and distribution records see [GBIF]

Biology

Life cycle parameters

Phase	Developmental time
Eggs
Hopper
Adult
Laying-fledging
Adult maturation
Total

Pest status

This species has been reported as a pest since medieval times and outbreaks remain common to date. In the Siberian steppes this locust can reach densities over 2000 individuals m⁻².

Media coverage

Name	Year published	Resource link	Descriptive keyword	Language	Geographic purview	Author
2014 evaluation of field trials data on the efficacy and selectivity of insecticides on locusts and grasshoppers	2014	View	Pesticides, Management, Pesticide management, Chemical control	English		Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
CABI Green Muscle education videos	2021	View	Video, Biological control, Biopesticide, Metarhizium acridum, Storage, Dosage, Application, PPE and cleaning	Arabic, French, Russian, English		Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International
CCA locust bulletins			Forecasting, Report, Locusts, Locust outbreaks	English		FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FAO Locust Watch bulletin for Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia		View	Forecasting, Information hub, Emergency alerts	English		FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Improving national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia	2015	View	Locust outbreaks, Climate change, Monitoring, Early warning, Public health, Geographic Information System (GIS), Management	English		Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Italian island of Sardinia infested with locusts	2022	View	Video, General locust education	English		DW News
Kazakhstan Tries To Ward Off Locust Invasion	2024	View	Media article, Locust outbreaks	English		The Times of Central Asia
Orthoptera Species File		View	Species identification, Biology	English		Orthoptera Species File Online
Practical guidelines on the three locust pests in Caucasus and Central Asia	2019		Management, Biology	Russian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen		FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Report Technical Workshop on Locusts In Caucasus and Central Asia	2022	View	Report, Monitoring, Public health, Forecasting, Management	English		FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Sustainable use and conservation of microbial and invertebrate biological control agents and microbial biostimulants	2023	View	Management, Biological control, Biopesticide	English		Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International

Organizations associated with the Italian locust

Organization name	Acronym	Website	Type	Focus	Focus keywords	Geographic purview
FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia	CCA	View	Intergovernmental Organization	Education, Information Hub, Governance	Training, Regional cooperation, Monitoring, Control, Policy, Forecasting
Scientific Research Institute of Plant Quarantine and Protection		View	Government

Resources

Name	Year published	Resource link	Descriptive keyword	Language	Geographic purview	Author
2014 evaluation of field trials data on the efficacy and selectivity of insecticides on locusts and grasshoppers	2014	View	Pesticides, Management, Pesticide management, Chemical control	English		Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Central Region, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
CABI Green Muscle education videos	2021	View	Video, Biological control, Biopesticide, Metarhizium acridum, Storage, Dosage, Application, PPE and cleaning	Arabic, French, Russian, English		Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International
CCA locust bulletins			Forecasting, Report, Locusts, Locust outbreaks	English		FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
FAO Locust Watch bulletin for Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia		View	Forecasting, Information hub, Emergency alerts	English		FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Improving national and regional locust management in Caucasus and Central Asia	2015	View	Locust outbreaks, Climate change, Monitoring, Early warning, Public health, Geographic Information System (GIS), Management	English		Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Italian island of Sardinia infested with locusts	2022	View	Video, General locust education	English		DW News
Kazakhstan Tries To Ward Off Locust Invasion	2024	View	Media article, Locust outbreaks	English		The Times of Central Asia
Orthoptera Species File		View	Species identification, Biology	English		Orthoptera Species File Online
Practical guidelines on the three locust pests in Caucasus and Central Asia	2019		Management, Biology	Russian, Azerbaijani, Georgian, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Turkmen		FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Report Technical Workshop on Locusts In Caucasus and Central Asia	2022	View	Report, Monitoring, Public health, Forecasting, Management	English		FAO Locust Watch Locusts in Caucasus and Central Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Sustainable use and conservation of microbial and invertebrate biological control agents and microbial biostimulants	2023	View	Management, Biological control, Biopesticide	English		Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International