Desert Locust Bulletin 513 (July 5, 2021)

WESTERN REGION: CALM

SITUATION. Breeding localized in central Algeria (351 ha treated) and isolated adults in northeast Morocco.

FORECASTS. Small-scale breeding in the Sahel of Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad with increasing summer rains to the North.

CENTRAL REGION: THREAT

SITUATION. New hopper bands form and moult, giving rise to an increasing number of immature swarms, mainly in north-western Somalia (80,330 ha treated) but also in eastern Ethiopia (6 436 ha) and the south-east of Djibouti (10 ha); an immature swarm reached the Afar region. Breeding ends in northern Saudi Arabia (2,235 ha) but immature groups are moving southwards and a few immature swarms arrive in the highlands of Yemen (5 ha) as adults scattered increase in the interior. Breeding localized near the Nile in Sudan (330 ha) and appearance of scattered adults in nearby summer breeding areas. Adults persist in southeast Egypt.

FORECASTS. Limited swarm migrations from eastern Ethiopia, northwestern Somalia and Djibouti to northeastern Ethiopia and possibly Sudan. Swarms will mature and lay eggs as the rains arrive in the Afar region causing hopper bands to form in August. A few swarms may migrate from northern Somalia to the interior of Yemen, and from the highlands of Yemen to northeast Ethiopia. Small-scale breeding in the interior of Yemen, Sudan and western Eritrea.

EASTERN REGION: CALM

SITUATION. Absence of locusts.

FORECASTS. Low numbers of adults will appear on both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border where small-scale breeding will start in July with the monsoon.

New swarms are forming in the Horn of Africa Numerous hopper bands continued to form and develop during June, mainly in northwest Somalia but also in eastern Ethiopia and southern from Djibouti. Intensive aerial control operations using insect growth regulators were carried out in Somalia against hopper bands in order to limit the number and size of the immature swarms which had started to form in mid-June. At the end of June, at least one swarm reached Afar region in northeast Ethiopia, while swarms diminished in Somalia. During July, small swarms in low numbers are likely to appear in the Afar region where they will mature and lay eggs with the first rains, resulting in the formation of new generation hopper bands in August. It is also possible that a few stray swarms from Yemen may arrive and some swarms may continue to fly into the highlands of northern Ethiopia and the summer breeding areas of Sudan. However, the scale of migration and reproduction will be significantly lower than last year. Smaller-scale breeding is also expected to occur in the interior of Yemen this summer. Breeding ended in northern Saudi Arabia but some adult groups moved southwest and a few swarms appeared in northern Yemen. The situation has returned to calm in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Iraq.

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations