Occurrence and settling behaviour of the migratory locust (Schistocerca gregaria) on vegetation in the north eastern dry agro-ecological zones of Uganda - a short communication

Abstract

The desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria Forskål) is a very important pest worldwide and frequently invades over 60 countries. In Uganda, the latest major desert locust invasion was in 2020, five decades after the previous plague. During the 2020 invasion, surveillances of the pest and native community responses were documented in the affected sub-regions of Karamoja, Teso and Acholi. The objective was to determine locust settling and feeding preferences; and the perceptions of the interventions used by local people to inform future surveillance, containment and control efforts. The study was implemented through a rapid rural appraisal of 200 respondents, a biological monitoring study along 1 km line transects, and a focus group discussion with 20 influential people in the invaded areas. Inventories of tree species, and cropped patches; and locust settling and feeding behavior were done along the transects. The study revealed that local people in the areas knelt down to pray, used fire and smoke, made loud noises, and sprayed chemical insecticides to prevent the locusts from settling in their areas. Praying was widely reported among the three sub-regions (ethnicities). Chemical applications had the highest efficacy in disruption of the locust activity. Tall green vegetation especially Acacia spp. and Balanites aegyptiaca tree species attracted swarms for settling/roosting. The most utilised field crops were Manihot esculenta and Oryza sativa crop patches. These findings can inform the future surveillance and control strategies for the pest.