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Tuesday 16 August 2016

Chapter 3 – Large-Scale Grasshopper Infestations on North American Rangeland and Crops


  • Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA


Abstract

Grasshopper pest species have been, and continue to be a hazard to agriculturalists in western North America. Grasshoppers are the major, above ground, insect consumer of vegetation on grasslands. They have an important role in the ecosystem as prey for other animals and in nutrient cycling. When grasshoppers damage crops or threaten to consume too much forage, insecticides are now used to control their populations. The goal of early control efforts with the first synthetic insecticides was 100% mortality of all grasshoppers. This management goal, on rangelands, has largely been replaced with Reduced Area and Agent Treatments. This IPM strategy preferentially uses a more selective insecticide applied in a manner that returns pest grasshopper populations to subeconomic densities and conserves more of their natural enemies and nonpest insect species. In the western US, the USDA-APHIS-PPQ conducts yearly surveys of pest grasshopper populations to determine the hazard of outbreak for the next year.

Keywords

  • Biology;
  • Control;
  • Ecology;
  • Grasshopper;
  • Infestation;
  • Insecticides;
  • Melanoplus;
  • Outbreaks