Study of the Diet of Locusta Migratoria Cinerascens

Abstract

This work focuses on the dietary preferences of Locusta migratoria cinerascens (Orthoptera: Oedipodinae) in irrigated crops under pivot systems in the Adrar region of the Algerian Sahara. The variations in the dietary preferences of the migratory locust depend on floristic diversity, overall coverage, and environmental conditions. The results showed that individuals of Locusta migratoria cinerascens have a food spectrum based primarily on grasses, particularly Sorghum vulgare, with an occurrence frequency of 82.75% in males and 84.61% in females, and on Lolium multiflorum (with an occurrence frequency of 50% in males and 43.58% in females). In terms of plant species consumed in the field, males accounted for 30% while females consumed 25%.