Book Description

Migrant insect pests represent a constant threat to crops and to health in many parts of the world. In Africa alone, over $100 million is spent annually on the control of a half dozen species of locust. One of the key problems in combating migrant pests is that the insect can disappear for months at a time and reappear with catastrophic effect. With the aid of aircraft and radar, it has been possible to map the movements of migrant pests. The research in this book, carried out on an international scale, has shown that migrant pests can travel longer distances than previously suspected and that their movements are related to the dynamics of the winds and weather systems. These findings throw new light on the flight behavior of the insects as well as on the ecological and evolutionary aspects of flight migration and suggest new options for controlling pests, especially locusts and grasshoppers. In surveying the achievements in this area, the author provides the biologist with an introduction to the relevant aspects of meteorology.