Spur-throated locust (Austracris guttulosa)
Spur-throated locust (Austracris guttulosa) | |
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Spur-throated locust | |
Taxonomy | |
Family: | Acrididae |
Subfamily: | Cyrtacanthacridinae |
Genus: | Austracris |
Additional resources | |
Full taxonomy at OSF |
The Spur-throated locust (Austracris guttulosa) is a large and notable species of locust found in Australia and New Zealand. Recognizable by the distinctive spur-shaped projection on its throat, this insect is known for its gregarious behavior, forming swarms that can pose a threat to agriculture. The Spur-throated locust is a polyphagous species, feeding on a wide range of plants, including crops and pastures. During periods of population increase, these locusts can undergo phase changes, transitioning from solitary individuals to highly mobile and destructive swarms. Efforts are often made to monitor and control their populations to mitigate potential damage to agricultural crops. Understanding the ecological dynamics and behavior of the Spur-throated locust is crucial for effective pest management in the regions it inhabits. Review information from the Australian Plague Locust Commission
Nomenclature
Austracris guttulosa (Walker, 1870). 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 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture Victoria Australian plague locust identification, biology and behaviour | 2022 | View URL | Species identification, Biology, Behavior | English | Australia | Agriculture Victoria | 2022 |
APLC locust and grasshopper identification guide | View URL | Management, Species identification | English | Australia | Australian Plague Locust Commission | ||
Australian plague locust online learning module | 2022 | View URL | Species identification, Biology, Behavior, Management | English | Australia | Agriculture Victoria | 2022 |
Locusts of Australia | 2020 | View URL | Management, Species identification | English | Australia | Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries | 2020 |
Orthoptera Species File | View URL | Species identification, Biology | English | Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania | Orthoptera Species File Online |
Distribution
Biology
Review information from the Australian Plague Locust Commission
Phase | Developmental time |
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Eggs | |
Hopper | |
Adult | |
Laying-fledging | |
Adult maturation | |
Total |
Distribution
The major breeding areas are in the Gulf region of northern Australia in monsoonal tropical grasslands, extending south into the Central Highlands of Queensland. [1]
Review information from the Australian Plague Locust Commission
For more information and distribution records see [GBIF]
Habitat and ecology
Land-use change
Pest status
Recent outbreaks
Outbreak media coverage
Querying the database found no results.
Organizations associated with the spur-throated locust
Organization name | Acronym | Website | Type | Focus | Focus keywords | Geographic purview |
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Agriculture Victoria | View URL | Government | Management, Education | Management | Australia | |
Australian Government Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry | View URL | Government | Information Hub | Australia | ||
Australian National University | ANU | View URL | University | Research | Australia | |
Australian Plague Locust Commission | APLC | View URL | Government | Management, Research, Governance | Agricultural development, Control, Coordination, Education, Emergency assistance, Forecasting, Funding, Governance, Information hub, International development, Media, Monitoring, Policy, Regional cooperation, Research, Sustainable development, Technology, Training, Natural sciences | Australia |
Australian Research Council | ARC | View URL | Government | Funding | Australia | |
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development | DPI WA | View URL | Government | Management | Monitoring, Control, Forecasting, Training | Australia |
Department of Primary Industries and Regions | PIRSA | View URL | Government | Management, Development, Information Hub | Control, Sustainable development | Australia |
Land Care Australia | LCA | View URL | Government | Funding | Australia | |
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries | NSW DPI | View URL | Government | Education, Management | Monitoring, Control, Forecasting, Training, Natural sciences | Australia |
New South Wales Local Land Services | NSW LLS | View URL | Government | Management | Monitoring, Control, Natural sciences | Australia |
Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries | QLD DPI | View URL | Government | Management | Monitoring, Control, Forecasting, Natural sciences | Australia |
Western Australia Department of Agriculture and Food | DPIRD | View URL | Government | Information Hub, Governance, Management | Coordination, Monitoring | Australia |
Resources
Name | Year published | Resource link | Descriptive keyword | Language | Geographic purview | Author | Year published |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agriculture Victoria locust and grasshopper online reporting form | View URL | Report | English | Australia | Agriculture Victoria | ||
Australian Plague Locust Commission current locust situation | View URL | Locusts, Locust outbreaks, Outbreaks, Infestations, Distribution, Monitoring, Forecasting, Information hub, Weather, Rainfall | English | Australia | Australian Plague Locust Commission | ||
Australian Plague Locust Commission locust bulletin | View URL | Locusts, Monitoring, Migration, Forecasting, Advisory note, Weather, Rainfall, Behavior, Survey, Distribution, Map | English | Australia | Australian Plague Locust Commission | ||
CABI Green Muscle education videos | 2021 | View URL | Video, Biological control, Biopesticide, Metarhizium acridum, Storage, Dosage, Application, PPE and cleaning | Arabic, French, Russian, English | Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania | 2021 | |
Locusts in Queensland | 2003 | View URL | Taxonomy, History, Distribution, Biology, Ecology, Management | English | Australia | Queensland Government | 2003 |
Sustainable use and conservation of microbial and invertebrate biological control agents and microbial biostimulants | 2023 | View URL | Management, Biological control, Biopesticide | English | Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania | Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International | 2023 |
References
- ↑ Australian Plague Locust Commission. Australian Government, https://www.agriculture.gov.au/pests-diseases-weeds/locusts. Accessed 8/11/21.