Vertebrate Animals Feeding on the Mormon Cricket

Abstract

During the three season, 1943 to 1945, inclusive, a moderately heavy infestation of Mormon crickets came down from the hills to invade outlying small grain and alfalfa fields located approximately three miles southeast of Kanoslh, in Millard County, Utah. Soon after the advanced guard of the outbreak reached these fields, the migration each time reversed its line of march and returned to the hills. Crops in only a few fields suffered damage of consequence, the chief injury being inflicted on range land forage. On May 11, 1943, the crickets were crossing the oiled highway into new fields; however, ohn May 15, only small numbers of the crickets still were present in these fields. On May 14, 1944, nymphal Mormon crickets and grasshoppers were very abundant in the same foothill-area fields. Five thousand turkeys were used to feed on and reduce cricket and grasshopper abundance in several of the alfalfa and small grain fields, the turkeys being intorduced on May 30, 1945. This was shortly before the Mormon crickets turned about and again moved out of cultivated fields, becoming difficult to locate as scattered bands in the juniper and sagebrush land to the south and east.