A team of entomologists has discovered that male desert locusts provide a ‘parasol’ for females during egg-laying in extreme heat. Desert locusts are notorious for their ability to form massive swarms that can devastate crops, and this new finding sheds light on their remarkable reproductive strategies. The research suggests that these parasol-like behaviors could lead to new ways of combating locust infestations and protecting vital food sources.
Locusts Seek Shade for Egg-Laying
The research team, led by scientists at the Center National de Lutte Antiacridienne’s Mauritanian National Desert Locust Center, set out to understand how female desert locusts are able to lay their eggs during the scorching hot daylight hours. Typically, locusts prefer to lay their eggs in the cooler evening conditions.
Through field expeditions and experiments, the researchers observed that male locusts will actually mount and ‘parasol’ the females as they are laying their eggs in the intense desert heat. This behavior helps to shield the females from the sun’s rays, keeping their body temperatures cooler and allowing them to complete the critical egg-laying process.
Locusts Dance in Tandem with the Sun
The researchers noted that the mating pairs would move in tandem, staying parallel to the sun’s rays as it moved across the sky. Using thermal cameras, they found that the females being ‘parasol’d’ by males had significantly cooler body temperatures compared to those females laying eggs without male protection.
To further test this behavior, the team conducted a simple experiment. They glued dead locusts to sticks and tied them to the ground, some in pairs and some alone. The results showed that the dead locust ‘parasols’ were able to shield the ground beneath them, keeping those areas cooler than the exposed areas.
Implications for Locust Control Strategies
The researchers suggest that their findings could lead to new, more effective strategies for controlling locust infestations and protecting vital food sources. By understanding the unique reproductive behaviors of desert locusts, such as their reliance on male ‘parasols’ during egg-laying, pest control efforts could be tailored to disrupt these crucial processes.
This discovery highlights the complex and often surprising adaptations that enable locusts to thrive in some of the harshest environments on Earth. As the global climate continues to change, gaining deeper insights into locust biology and behavior will be crucial for safeguarding agricultural productivity and food security.
