Yellow-spined bamboo locust (Ceracris kiangsu)
Yellow-spined bamboo locust (Ceracris kiangsu) | |
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Yellow-spined bamboo locust | |
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Taxonomy | |
Family: | Acrididae |
Subfamily: | Oedipodinae |
Genus: | Ceracris |
Additional resources | |
Full taxonomy at OSF |
A notorious grain and bamboo pest in South China, especially in Hunan. [1] Banana, maize, millet, rice, sorghum and other crops are also targeted [1]
Nomenclature
Ceracris kiangsu Tsai, 1929. For full nomenclature, see this taxon's page on Orthoptera Species File
Identification
Antennae are very long. In males >2x length of head and pronotum [1]
Phase | Stage | Color | Wings | Legs |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gregarious | nymph | |||
Gregarious | immature adult | |||
Gregarious | mature adult | |||
Solitarious | nymph | |||
Solitarious | immature adult | |||
Solitarious | adult | Generally green, prominent orange-yellow median longitudinal stripe on pronotum. [1] |
Identification resources
Name | Year published | Resource link | Descriptive keyword | Language | Geographic purview | Author | Year published |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Orthoptera Species File | View URL | Species identification, Biology | English | Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, Oceania | Orthoptera Species File Online |
Distribution
India, Thailand, China,[1] Laos, Vietnam. Widely distributed in bamboo forests south of Yangtse river. For more information and distribution records see [GBIF]
Biology
Five hopper instars. Humidity (70%) and high temperatures (27-30° C) are favorable for development [1] Adults emerge during June–August and keep feeding on bamboo leaves for about 40 days and consume an average of 365 cm2 of bamboo leaves per male and 1 081 cm2 per female. [2] and references therein.
Phase | Developmental time |
---|---|
Eggs | |
Hopper | |
Adult | |
Laying-fledging | |
Adult maturation | |
Total |
Habitat and ecology

C. kiangsu is maining concentrated in S. China where it is a serious problem for bamboo, especially mōsō bamboo (Phyllostachys_edulis). It will also feed on other grasses and cereal crops. Eggs are laid in last summer and hatch early May. Most eggs are laid on southeast facing mountain slopes at 300–400 m. [1] C. kiangsuexhibits puddling behavior around human urine; attracted by NaCl along with other components of urine.[3] This phenomenon is being explored to use as bait for control in China. [2] [4]
Insecticides are used to control late-stage nymphs and adults at high population densities because young nymphs are less destructive and serve as a food source for birds, lizards, and other natural enemies. [4] Historically, hexachlorobenzene fumigants were used and insecticide spraying is still widely practiced. However more sustainable, convenient, and cost-effective methods are needed. [4]
Land-use change
Interactions between C. kiangsu and livestock grazing are unknown. [5]
Pest status
Recent outbreaks

In 2020, large numbers of Yellow-spined bamboo locust caused problems for agricultural production in Laos, Vietnam and spread throughout China’s southwestern province of Yunnan. Swarms were first detected in China where local authorities deployed a management campaigns primarily using drones to spray pesticides (pyrethroids). Three to four large swarms were observed, potentially containing more than 80 million individuals. Corn (~3,000 ha) and bamboo trees (~10,000 ha) were particularly damaged. Regional cooperation was called for to keep the situation contained. [6]
In Laos the yellow-spined bamboo locust was widespread across the nine districts of Northern Laos and damaged over 5,000 hectares of crops in 2019. [7]
In 1946, the equivalent of 3,400,000 Chinese dollars was lost due to a 6000 ha infestation of C. kiangsu. [1]
Outbreak media coverage
2020
Yellow-spined bamboo locust swarms invade Yunan province
Crops at risk as southern China battles worst locust infestation in decades (August 30, 2020)
Yellow-Spined Bamboo Locust Invades Southwest China, Occupies Nearly 6,667 Hectares (July 10, 2020)
Locust Plague Hits Phongsaly, 5 Hectares of Crops Destroyed (June 30, 2020)
Chinese Authorities Deploy Fleets of Drones to Battle Locust Invasion (July 31, 2020)
2017
Laos, China and neigbouring countries discuss locust outbreak in Laos (February 21, 2017)
Lao to Get Supports from Thailand to Halt the Bamboo Locust Outbreak (February 17, 2017)
Name | Year published | Resource link | Descriptive keyword | Language | Geographic purview | Author | Year published |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
CABI contributes to study which reveals yellow-spined bamboo locust prefers wheat and rice to maize | 2023 | View URL | Media article | English | China | National Institutes of Health, Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International | 2023 |
Chinese Authorities Deploy Fleets of Drones to Battle Locust Invasion | View URL | Robotics, Drones, Technology | English | China | Caixin Global | ||
Lao to Get Supports from Thailand to Halt the Bamboo Locust Outbreak | 2019 | View URL | Media article, Locust outbreaks, Locusts, Outbreaks, Infestations, Pesticides, Chemical control, Spraying, Governance, Emergency response, Agriculture, Crop health, Management, Integrated pest management, Community development, Press release
|
English | Laos | Thai-German Cooperation | 2019 |
Laos, China and neigbouring countries discuss locust outbreak in Laos | View URL | Media article, Governance, Collective movement, Locust outbreaks, Locusts, Outbreaks, Infestations, Management, Press release | English | Laos, China, Vietnam, Thailand | Open Development Mekong | ||
Locust Plague Hits Phongsaly, 5 Hectares of Crops Destroyed | 2020 | View URL | Media article, Locust outbreaks, Outbreaks, Locusts, Infestations, Crop health, Agriculture, Food security, Spraying, Pesticides, Management, Chemical control, Economics | English | Laos | Laotian Times | 2020 |
Southern China battles worst locust infestation in decades | 2020 | View URL | Media article, Locust outbreaks, Locusts, Infestations, Outbreaks, Agriculture, Food security, Crop health, Press release, Governance, Spraying, Pesticides, Management, Monitoring, Robotics, Drones, Technology
|
English | China | South China Morning Post | 2020 |
Swarms of locusts invade Northern Vietnamese village | 2024 | View URL | Locust outbreaks | English | Viet Nam | Saigon Giai Phong News | 2024 |
Yellow-Spined Bamboo Locust Invades Southwest China, Occupies Nearly 6,667 Hectares | View URL | Media article, Locust outbreaks, Locusts, Outbreaks, Infestations, Crop health, Monitoring, Chemical control, Aerial control operations, Pesticides, Agriculture, Economics, Robotics, Drones, Technology
|
English | China | Yicai Global |
Organizations associated with the yellow-spined bamboo locust
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Resources
Name | Year published | Resource link | Descriptive keyword | Language | Geographic purview | Author | Year published |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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 | Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International | 2021 |
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 |
Yellow-spined bamboo locust swarms invade Yunan province | 2020 | View URL | English | Laos, Viet Nam | The Orthopterists' Society | 2020 |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 COPR (1982) The Locust and Grasshopper Agricultural Manual. London: Overseas Pest Research. 387.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Yu H-P, Shen K, Wang Z-T, Mu L-L, Li G-Q (2011a) Population control of the yellow-spined bamboo locust, Ceracris kiangsu, using urine- borne chemical baits in bamboo forest. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 138: 71–76. doi: 10.1111/j.1570-7458.2010.01076.x
- ↑ Shen K, Wang H-J, Shao L, Xiao K, Shu J-P, Xu T-S (2009) Mud- puddling in the yellow-spined bamboo locust, Ceracris kiangsu (Oedipodidae: Orthoptera): does it detect and prefer salts or nitrogenous compounds from human urine? Journal of Insect Physiology 55: 78–84. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2008.10.011
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Yu H-P, Wang Z-T, Xiao K, Shao L, Li G-Q (2011b) The presence of conspecific decoys enhances the attractiveness of an NaCl resource to the yellow-spined locust, Ceracris kiangsu. Journal of insect science 11: 45. doi: 10.1673/031.011.0145
- ↑ Le Gall M, Overson R, Cease A (2019) A global review on locusts (Orthoptera: Acrididae) and their interactions with livestock grazing practices. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 7: 263. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00263
- ↑ Zhang L (2020) Yellow-spined bamboo locust swarms invade Yunan province. Metaleptea 40: 3 p. 6. http://orthsoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Metaleptea_40_3.pdf
- ↑ www.cabi.org. BioSpace: Using space-enabled remote sensing for long term sustainable growth of biopesticide use. https://www.cabi.org/projects/biospace-using-space-enabled-remote-sensing-for-long-term-sustainable-growth-of-biopesticide-use/