- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- Available online 20 November
Abstract
Grasshopper
pest species have been, and continue to be a hazard to agriculturalists
in western North America. Grasshoppers are the major, above ground,
insect consumer of vegetation on grasslands. They have an important role
in the ecosystem as prey for other animals and in nutrient cycling.
When grasshoppers damage crops or threaten to consume too much forage,
insecticides are now used to control their populations. The goal of
early control efforts with the first synthetic insecticides was 100%
mortality of all grasshoppers. This management goal, on rangelands, has
largely been replaced with Reduced Area and Agent Treatments. This IPM
strategy preferentially uses a more selective insecticide applied in a
manner that returns pest grasshopper populations to subeconomic
densities and conserves more of their natural enemies and nonpest insect
species. In the western US, the USDA-APHIS-PPQ conducts yearly surveys
of pest grasshopper populations to determine the hazard of outbreak for
the next year.
Keywords
- Biology;
- Control;
- Ecology;
- Grasshopper;
- Infestation;
- Insecticides;
- Melanoplus;
- Outbreaks
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