Locusts in Queensland

Only three of the 712 species of grasshoppers and locusts in Australia are considered serious economic pests to Queensland. They are the spur-throated locust (Austracris guttulosa), migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) and Australian plague locust (Chortoicetes terminifera). These insects evoke considerable media and community interest due to the visible nature of the swarms and biblical tales of damage. The
formation of dense aggregations (bands and/or swarms) makes locusts formidable eating machines that devastate crops. Their ability to migrate over large distances means that virtually all Queensland's agricultural areas are at some risk from locusts.
Locust outbreaks and plagues develop as a result of favourable seasonal"