Mexico: Edomex on alert for Central American locust plague

Maize (Corn)

Sorghum

Published Jan 31, 2024

Tridge summary

The State of Mexico's government has issued a warning about the presence of the Central American locust, a threat to crops such as corn, beans, wheat, oats, sorghum, cereals, and fruits. First detected on January 18 in the Ejido Chalma, Malinalco municipality, these insects can consume twice their weight daily and travel around 20 kilometers in 24 hours, causing significant crop damage. The government has urged farmers, especially those in the south, to stay vigilant and report any locust sightings.

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Original content

The government of the State of Mexico issues an alert for the presence of the Central American locust in the entity for the first time, which represents a risk for crops of corn, beans, wheat, oats, sorghum and other cereals, as well as fruits. “The specimens of this grasshopper-like insect were detected on January 18 in the Ejido Chalma, municipality of Malinalco, a town with a warm and conducive climate for the insects to expand when the vegetation grows and the temperature increases,” details in a statement. the Directorate of Health, Safety and Agri-Food Quality of the Rural Secretariat of the State of Mexico. This specimen, whose scientific name is schistocerca p. piceifrons, is a species that can be highly harmful to agricultural fields. They can measure more than eight centimeters, have wings longer than their abdomen, black spots and a white stripe along their body. They breed twice a year and can travel alone or in groups. Their danger is that they are capable of eating ...

Source: Expansion