Siberian filly - the enemy of rural fields in eastern Russia

The locust family is one of the most extensive among orthopterans. Most of the 10 thousand species are pests of agriculture. Siberian filly is a dangerous pest of grain crops, agricultural crops, pastures and hayfields in the eastern regions of Russia. Locusts are harmful at any age and are especially dangerous during droughts. The main method of controlling the filly is to treat the fields with chemicals.

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Siberian filly is an insect from the locust family. Gomphocerus sibiricus belongs to non-herd species. Insects of medium size, females are larger than males. Body length 19-25 and 15-20 mm, respectively. The color of adults is variable, ranging from green to brown. Often the head, pronotum and lower abdomen are lighter. The antennae are club-shaped; in males, an expansion in the form of a black club is clearly noticeable. In females, the organ is weakly expressed.

Elytra slightly longer than hind femurs, in males their length is 10-15 mm, in females 7-14 mm. The wings are colorless. Tibiae yellow or brownish, may have dark spots. Males have characteristic pear-shaped swellings on the front legs. Pronot brown, swollen. The egg-pod (egg laying) is small, the lower end is blunt, and the upper one is narrowed. Average length 10-14 mm, diameter 5-6 mm.

Interesting fact. Locust color depends on the environment. Individuals from one female, grown under different conditions, are distinguished by the color of the cover.

Ecology features

The plastic locust species is able to survive in various conditions. Siberian fillies prefer to settle in the steppe, close to cereal plants. On the plains, pastures, grasslands, meadows are chosen. In mountainous areas, they live on drought-resistant plants. Climb to a height of up to 2-3 thousand meters. Herbivorous insect prefers young plants. Larvae and adults are solitary. Activity time - daylight hours. The life cycle of insects is one year. Adults die in July-August.

Locusts are resistant to low and high temperatures. She survives in the temperature range from -5 to + 60 °. Only at -10 ° frosty numbness occurs. The insects spend the night in a daze. At sunrise, they move to the illuminated side and begin to feed. A decrease in activity occurs when the temperature rises to 40-45 °. Locusts can fly long distances. She is forced to search for new territories by hunger and the lack of water, which she suffers much worse. On cloudy days and at temperatures below 20 °, the locust does not fly.

Distribution area

Siberian filly is found almost throughout Siberia. Locusts spread to the north of Kazakhstan, the Caucasus and Central Asia. The insect is found in the mountains in southern Europe, Mongolia, northern China and Tibet.

Propagation Features

Mating occurs a week after the winging of females. After 5-10 days they are ready to give offspring. Siberian filly pick dry areas with sparse vegetation for masonry. The female lays eggs in a small hole, then pours it with a special liquid. After mixing with the ground, a frozen mass forms - a small egg. It contains whitish-gray eggs. In the masonry there are 7-15 pieces.Egg length 4-5 mm, they are laid in 2-3 rows. The outlet is covered with an earthen lid. A fine-mesh secret fills the free space. Each female leaves in the soil 8-15 such egg capsules. The masonry is placed to a depth of 15-20 mm, but sometimes it just leaves on the surface. The breeding process lasts up to four weeks. Having completed their function of procreation, the females die. The stage of the egg is the longest period of life of the locust; it takes 7–9 months.

Attention. With mechanical destruction of the capsule, locust larvae die.

Larvae hatching occurs early, in the southern regions in April, and in the northern regions in May. This stage lasts about a month. Larvae pass 4 ages; their change is associated with molting. After dropping the old skin, the larvae almost double. They feed on juicy parts of plants or grain. Wild species eat up completely.

Harm for agriculture

In some cases, the number of egg capsules can reach a critical amount of 1000 pieces per square meter. meter. In the season of mass breeding, locusts cause great damage to crops. Young cereals that are vulnerable at the initial stage of growth are particularly affected. Spring crops are severely damaged.

On pastures and hayfields, a filly eats leaves, partly grass stems. Spoiled plants die, the density of the grass stand decreases. In winter cereals eats grain from an ear. Most affected crops of wheat, rye and barley. The pest feeds on potatoes, cabbage, mustard, hemp, buckwheat and other crops. Considering that the larvae eat 10-20 times more body mass per day, the crop suffers significant damage. To estimate the number of locusts, methods have been developed to account for the population size. In summer, counting is carried out by adults, in spring and autumn by egg capsules.

Control measures

Locusts have always been considered a disaster for agricultural crops. Several methods are used to combat the pest.

Agrotechnical

The destruction of egg-laying places contributes to the development of virgin lands, plowing between and fallows. Autumn plowing of fields damages egg capsules and contributes to a decrease in the number of offspring. It is recommended to carry out with a turnover of the reservoir and subsequent harrowing.

Organizational and economic

The proper organization of cattle grazing ensures the normal restoration of grass cover. Locusts masonry on trampled ground, the presence of grass reduces the rate of reproduction. An additional measure is the seeding of forage grasses.

Chemical

Young larvae are most sensitive to pesticides. After the growth of wings, the effect of chemicals loses its effectiveness. If a significant number of egg capsules is found, cereal crops are treated with insecticides - karbofos and fufunon. The processing of large areas is carried out using aviation. Harmful for locust dust hexachloran. Spraying is carried out in the foci of breeding and barrier.

Natural enemies

Locusts have many natural enemies that pose a threat to every stage of development. Riders and flies parasitize on the eggs of the Siberian filly. They put their eggs in a small egg. The spawning larva feeds on the offspring of locusts. A separate group of enemies is microorganisms. Fungi infect eggs during heavy rainfall. The penetration of microorganisms contributes to damage to the shell of the egg capsule.

Several species of flies parasitize on the body of locusts. They weaken the imago, make them lethargic and unable to fly. Vertebrates to a lesser extent affect the number of pests, but they also reduce the number of fillies. Reptiles, birds, foxes, hedgehogs. Wild boars and other mammals eat locusts. The natural enemies of the phytophage are used as a biological method of struggle.