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Insights for the Management of Different Locust Species from New Findings on the Chemical Ecology of the Desert Locust

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2011

Ahmed Hassanali  and
Magzoub Omer Bashir
Ahmed Hassanali
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
Magzoub Omer Bashir
Affiliation:
International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology, P.O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya
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Abstract

Recent studies on the chemical ecology of the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, have unravelled a rich and complex system of pheromonal and other semiochemical-mediated communication in this insect. The key pheromones associated with such behavioural processes as social cohesion and communal egg-laying have been characterised. The semiochemical bases of such physiological processes as maturation of solitarious insects before the arrival of seasonal rains, development of gregarious traits in crowded solitarious insects, development of maturation synchrony in gregarious insects, and maternal transfer of gregarious characters to the offspring are better understood. Desert locust semiochemicals are finding two principal uses: as tools for studying the processes associated with gregarisation and, therefore, for elucidating the eco-physiological mechanisms underlying the development of locust outbreaks; and as agents for interfering or reversing the process of gregarisation. The status of this research and its implication for the development of novel ecologically friendly tactics for the management of different locust species are highlighted.

Résumé

Les études récentes sur l'écologie chimique du criquet du désert, Schistocerca gregaria a révélé un système riche et complexe en médiateurs phéromonaux et autres signaux chimiques intermédiares de communication chez cet insecte. Les principaux pheromones associés à de telles moeurs de comportement comme la cohésion sociale des individus et la ponte sur des sites communs, ont été identifiés. Il existe déjà une meilleure compréhension des éléments à la base des médiateurs chimiques, régissant de tels phénomènes physiologiques comme la maturation des insectes solitaires avant l'arrivée de la saison de pluies, le développement des tendances grégaires au sein d'individus solitaires en bandes, le développement d'une maturation synchrone chez les sujets grégaires, de même que le transfert héréditaire par les femelles à leurs descendants, des caractères de gregarisation. De la découverte des médiateurs chimiques chez le criquet du désert il en découlent deux principaux champs d'applications. En premier lieu cette découverte constitue un outil pour étudier les phénomènes associés à la gregarisation afin d'élucider les méchanismes éco-physiologiques à la base du développement des explosions démographiques chez les criquets. Enfin, la découverte pemet d'étudier les facteurs qui perturbent ou inversent le processus de gregarisation. L'article met en exergue l'état de recherche et son rôle dans le développement de nouvelles stratégies écologiquement saines, dans la lutte contre différentes espèces de criquets.

Keywords

criquetcriquet du désertpheromonessignaux chimiqueslutte anti-acridiennelocustsdesert locustpheromonessemiochemicalslocust management
Type
Research and Review Articles
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 19 , Issue 4 , December 1999 , pp. 369 - 376
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 1999

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References

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