Moroccan Locust

(Dociostaurus maroccanus), an insect of the order Orthoptera, one of the species of locust. They are 22 to 39 mm long and reddish yellow, with dark spots and light cross-shaped markings on the pronotum; the tibia of the hind legs is red. There are two types, solitary and gregarious. They are found throughout the Mediterranean and in Iran and Afghanistan. In the USSR they occur in Central Asia, Kazakhstan, the Caucasus, including Transcaucasia, and the Crimea. They breed in great numbers in deserts and, more often, in foothills or on the lower slopes of mountains. Moroccan locusts do great damage to cotton, cereals, alfalfa, vegetables, and melons.