Locusts: Impact and Control Methods

Locusts, a type of grasshopper, can transform due to overcrowding, becoming more aggressive and forming swarms. The Rocky Mountain locust, the only locust species in North America, caused significant agricultural damage in the 19th century. Massive swarms consumed crops and other materials, prompting settlers to take drastic measures to control them. These efforts, combined with agricultural expansion, inadvertently led to the extinction of the Rocky Mountain locust by destroying their breeding grounds. This is considered the only known extinction of a pest species due to agriculture.

What triggers the transformation of locusts from their usual state?

• Lack of food

• Presence of predators

• Overcrowding

• Change in temperature

Which locust species was found in North America and caused significant damage?

• Red locust

• Desert locust

• Rocky Mountain locust

• Migratory locust

What was the size of the locust swarm observed in Nebraska in 1875?

• 50 miles wide and 1,000 miles long

• 110 miles wide and 1,800 miles long

• 75 miles wide and 1,500 miles long

• 200 miles wide and 2,000 miles long

What unusual items did locusts reportedly consume during their outbreaks?

• Plastic containers

• Metal tools

• Wooden houses

• Fence posts and leather

How did settlers attempt to control the locust population?

• Introducing natural predators

• Building locust-proof fences

• Paying bounties for dead locusts

• Using pesticides

What was the bounty offered for a bushel of dead grasshoppers?

• $50

• $150

• $75

• $100

What was the unintended consequence of settlers' agricultural activities on locusts?

• Locusts went extinct

• Locusts became resistant to control methods

• Locusts migrated to other regions

• Increased locust population

What was the primary reason for the extinction of the Rocky Mountain locust?

• Predation by birds

• Climate change

• Destruction of breeding habitats

• Introduction of new crops

What was the primary habitat of the Rocky Mountain locust for laying eggs?

• Desert areas

• Mountain peaks

• River bottomlands

• Forest clearings

What is unique about the extinction of the Rocky Mountain locust?

• It led to the extinction of other species

• It was the only pest extinction due to agriculture

• It was the first insect extinction

• It was caused by a natural disaster