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Desert Locust Bulletin, No. 497, February 2020
Widespread hatching and band formation in Horn of Africa
The current situation is complex and extremely alarming as locusts have spread within the Horn of Africa and, into East Africa, reaching southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, northeast Uganda, southeast South Sudan and northeast D.R. Congo. However, the worst affected countries are Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia where there is an unprecedented threat to food security and livelihoods. Aerial and ground control operations continued against widespread swarm laying, hatchlings and numerous hopper bands throughout northern and central Kenya and southern Ethiopia. New swarms formed in northern Somalia at mid- month and in Kenya at the end of February. An increasing number of hopper bands and immature swarms will form in the Horn of Africa during March and April. Some swarms may move northwards while others are likely to remain, mature and eventually lay eggs, causing another generation of breeding. Elsewhere, several swarms were present in Yemen and some moved northwards in Saudi Arabia and passed through the Gulf countries to southern Iran where they quickly matured and laid eggs that will cause hopper bands to form. Remnant summer-bred swarms were present in Rajasthan, India and were laying in parts of Punjab, Pakistan. A swarm was seen in eastern Afghanistan and adult groups reached Baluchistan in southwest Pakistan where spring breeding will continue.
For more information, please download the Desert Locust Bulletin from the link below:
http://desertlocust-crc.org/Download.ashx?File=App_Uploads/Bulletins/Files/200318100551DL497e.pdf
DLIS - 05, Mar 2020
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