Desert Locust Bulletin No. 514 (August 4, 2021)

General situation in July 2021 Forecast until mid-September 2021
WESTERN REGION: CALM
SITUATION. Scattered adults in Morocco (30 ha treated); adults isolated in central Algeria and Niger.
FORECASTS. Small-scale breeding in the northern Sahel in Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad.
CENTRAL REGION: THREAT
SITUATION. Decrease in control operations against the last hopper bands and immature swarms in northwest Somalia (27,162 ha treated), eastern Ethiopia (3,788 ha) and southeast Djibouti (55 Ha); limited swarm movements towards northeast Ethiopia where rains allowed maturation but with few swarms observed. A few immature swarms in the highlands of Yemen are moving inland where small-scale breeding is in progress. Hopper bands and adult groups form from local breeding in the northern Nile Valley in Sudan (525 ha). A group of immature adults in southern Egypt (50 ha).
FORECASTS. Laying, hatching and band formation expected in northeast Ethiopia and southern Djibouti. A few immature swarms are likely to persist in northwest Somalia.
Small-scale breeding and widespread in Sudan and western Eritrea. Breeding is expected to intensify in the interior of Yemen with the possible formation of small hopper bands.
EASTERN REGION: CALM
SITUATION. Absence of locusts.
FORECASTS. Small-scale reproduction along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border.
Summer breeding imminent in northeast Ethiopia and elsewhere
Spring breeding ended in eastern Ethiopia and northwest Somalia where control operations continue to decline as they reduce the number and size of immature swarms resulting from spring breeding. As expected, at least several swarms moved to northeast Ethiopia where above average rainfall since mid-July allowed them to mature and possibly lay in the Afar region and the south. from Djibouti. Although this could not be confi rmed and very few swarms have been seen recently due to difficulties in accessing breeding areas, hatching and hopper band formation can be expected. from the beginning of August, which could give rise to new swarms after the end of September. It is also possible that a few swarms continued to the highlands in northern Ethiopia where they could reappear in adjacent areas of Sudan and Eritrea to breed. In Yemen, a few swarms crossed the highlands and at least one swarm reached the interior where good fall in July will allow summer breeding of at least a generation and the formation of small hopper bands. So far, localized reproduction is already underway. Widespread good rains also fell in the summer breeding areas of the northern Sahel, between Mauritania and western Eritrea, as well as along the Indo-Pakistan border. As there are few locust infestations in these areas,

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations