I’ve seen grasshoppers of all kinds and lots of locusts (and have learnt that picking up big spur throated locusts is not wise), but can’t remember ever seeing locusts swarming. That is until we drove home the other day, and went through locust swarms east and west of Julia Creek. Most of them flew a few metres above the ground and you could see them as clouds in the distance.
The Federal Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) website hosts the Australian Plague Locust Commission (APLC) website. APLC has information on locust and grasshopper identification, with excellent photos accompanying the list of species in a couple of stages, plus species distribution maps. There is also control and research information plus current and predicted locust activity news bulletins. This is because locusts build up after a good season/s and move into farming areas and decimate crops – in central northern Queensland they are known to decimate anything coloured green, including garden hoses. These locusts can travel very long distances. The website also has online forms to email reports of locust activity to the Australian Plague Locust Commission.
The APLC was set up in 1976 to monitor and help control Australian Plague Locusts, due to the difficulty in co-ordinating the relevant state government departments. In 1986 the APLC also undertook the management of Spur Throated Locusts and Migratory Locusts, in certain areas.
The Australian Plague Locust Commission is funded by the Commonwealth Government and 4 member states – NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Queensland (in order of financial contributions).