The influence of aromatic shrubs on sexual maturation in the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria

Abstract

In well-fed desert locusts ( Schistocerca gregaria Forskȧl) in the laboratory a single contact with any of the terpenoids derived from Commiphora myrrhae hastens and synchronizes the attainment of reproductive activity. The active oils include α-pinene, β-pinene, limonene, and eugenol. Field evidence is presented that in the Somali Peninsula Commiphora spp. come into leaf and flower, and desert locusts, which have thus far failed to show any sign of approaching maturity, initiate vitellogenesis and undergo the colour changes associated with maturity just before the autumnal rains begin. It is suggested that bud-burst of the aromatic desert shrubs provides the environmental cue by which desert locusts gear their breeding seasons to the rains.