Here Come the Locusts

In which group do locusts belong?

• insects that live alone

• insects that swarm

• insects that eat meat

• insects that bite people

Throughout history, people feared swarms of locusts because _____________.

• they could cause famine

• they could bite people

• they could spread disease

• they could pollute water

In 1874, _______________________

• Boris discovered how locusts are related to grasshoppers

• locusts ate two million square miles of crops in the Great Plains

• scientists began using radar to watch for locust swarms

• swarms of locusts destroyed areas of the Middle East

What happens as a result of short-horned grasshoppers living close together?

• They spread out to live alone

• They lay fewer eggs

• They cause a drought

• They change color

Why were locusts considered a mystery for so many years?

• People didn't know where the locusts came from

• People didn't know what the locusts were

• People didn't know if the locusts were nice or mean

• People didn't know if the locusts would bite or not

How are grasshoppers different from locusts?

• Grasshoppers are brown while locusts are green

• Grasshoppers live in groups while locusts live alone

• Locusts live in groups while grasshoppers live alone

• Grasshoppers are larger than locusts

How do short-horned grasshoppers act differently than their locusts parents?

• They travel over large areas

• They each live in one small area

• They cause major damage to crops

• They lay eggs under ground

What is the first part of the locust life cycle?

• locus

• grasshopper

• egg

• swarm

When there is a shortage of ___________________, grasshoppers may turn into swarms of locusts.

• predators

• shelter

• water

• food

Today, farmers prevent locust swarms from damaging their crops by __________________.

• burning crops

• watering crops more to prevent droughts

• spraying small areas of crops with poison

• spraying wide areas of crops with poison