Migratory locust
Locusta migratoria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Status not recordedinsects
The migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) is an insect in the family Acrididae, subfamily Oedipodinae, within the order Orthoptera. It belongs to the genus Locusta, tribe Locustini, superfamily Acridoidea and suborder Caelifera, in the class Insecta and phylum Arthropoda.
Quick facts about the migratory locust
Its scientific name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1758), and the Catalogue of Life lists it as living, not extinct. Other English names for it are Locust and Tropical migratory locust.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- Not recorded
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the migratory locust
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the migratory locust live?
Not recorded
What is the migratory locust?
The migratory locust (Locusta migratoria) is the most widespread locust species, and the only species in the genus Locusta. It occurs throughout Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. Because of the vast geographic area it occupies, which comprises many different ecological zones, numerous subspecies have been described. However, not all experts agree on the validity of some of these subspecies. While it reaches plague proportions in drier areas, it is solitary in northern Australia savannas.
Many other species of grasshopper with gregarious and possibly migratory behaviour are referred to as 'locusts' in the vernacular, including the widely distributed desert locust.
At 6.5 Gbp, the migratory locust possesses one of the largest known insect genomes.
From the Wikipedia article “Migratory locust” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Migratory_locust&oldid=1369618186), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
What does the migratory locust sound like?
Is the migratory locust endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the migratory locust classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumArthropoda
- classInsecta
- orderOrthoptera
- familyAcrididae
- genusLocusta
- SpeciesLocusta migratoria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Acridium migratorium, Acrydium migratorium, Gryllus danicus, Gryllus migratorius, Locusta gallica, Locusta migratoria remaudierei, Locusta migratoria solitaria, Locusta rossica
Other names and names in other languages (50)
- LocustEnglish
- Tropical migratory locustEnglish
- جراد مهاجرArabic
- Llagosta migratòriaCatalan
- saranče stěhovaváCzech
- Europæisk vandregræshoppeDanish
- Almindelig vandregræshoppeDanish
- Europäische WanderheuschreckeGerman
- BrouchosGreek
- Langosta migratoriaSpanish
- Oti migratzaileBasque
- idänkulkusirkkaFinnish
- LocusteFrench
- Criquet cendréFrench
- Criquet émigrantFrench
- Criquet migrateurFrench
- Criquet voyageurFrench
- Fraterelle de passageFrench
- Oedipode voyageuseFrench
- Sauterelle de passageFrench
- חגב נודדHebrew
- Skakavac selacCroatian
- keleti vándorsáskaHungarian
- 殿様飛蝗Japanese
- トノサマバッタJapanese
- აზიური კალიაGeorgian
- Азия ұшпа шегірткесіKazakh
- 풀무치Korean
- BruchusLatin
- LocustaLatin
- чагыргаLezghian
- лув гудай цІицІLezghian
- Skėrys keleivisLithuanian
- KapakapaMāori
- RangtauaMāori
- europeisk vandregresshoppeNorwegian Bokmål
- Europese treksprinkhaanDutch
- europeisk vandregrashoppeNorwegian Nynorsk
- Szarańcza wędrownaPolish
- Gafanhoto-MigradorPortuguese
- Gafanhoto-migratórioPortuguese
- Перелётная саранчаRussian
- Саранча перелётнаяRussian
- koník sťahovavýSlovak
- europeisk vandringsgräshoppaSwedish
- Madrap ÇekirgesiTurkish
- Afrika Göçmen ÇekirgesiTurkish
- molomeTswana
- Сарана перелітнаUkrainian
- 飛蝗Chinese
Relatives of the migratory locust
Other species in the same genus Locusta.
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the migratory locust?
The migratory locust is an insect in the order Orthoptera and the family Acrididae.
What is the scientific name of the migratory locust?
Its scientific name is Locusta migratoria, placing it in the genus Locusta.
Who named the migratory locust and when?
The scientific name authority is (Linnaeus, 1758).
What family does the migratory locust belong to?
It belongs to the family Acrididae, subfamily Oedipodinae and tribe Locustini, within the superfamily Acridoidea.
Is the migratory locust extinct?
No, the Catalogue of Life lists the migratory locust as living, not extinct.
What other names does the migratory locust have?
It is also called Locust and Tropical migratory locust in English.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/migratory-locust
“Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/migratory-locust.
@misc{migratory_locust_2026,
title = {Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/migratory-locust},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}