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4 February 1999 |
Ref 99/26 |
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Summer in Australia, warm weather, holidays and insects … and high on most people's list of problem summer insects are grasshoppers and locusts.
One of Australia's foremost entomologists says we need easier access to information about them.
"Locusts are certainly capable of devastating crops and farmland," says CSIRO's Dr David Rentz, Australia's leading expert in grasshoppers. "But they are also very important as a food source for many animals."
"There are 735 species of grasshoppers and locusts in Australia," he says, "and at present no way to identify them other than to come and compare specimens against samples held in the Australian National Insect Collection (ANIC) at CSIRO Entomology in Canberra."
According to Dr Rentz, grasshoppers and locusts are not only significant because of the damage they can cause. They have beneficial effects and may have contributed significantly to aboriginal art and culture.
"Their value at keeping certain plants under natural control by their feeding activities has not yet been fully appreciated in this country," he said. "In countries such as the United States, grasshoppers are known to act as a control on certain plants which are toxic to livestock and other animals."
And Dr Rentz believes that certain grasshoppers from arid parts of Australia have provided the inspiration for the designs that we see portrayed in much aboriginal painting and artwork.
"Some species of grasshoppers show an amazing resemblance to the patterns we see in aboriginal design," said Dr Rentz. "So I have long held the belief that this is where a fair proportion of the design ideas have originated, but as far as I am aware no-one has really researched this issue."
Dr Rentz made his comments to-day to highlight the need for a comprehensive field guide to Australian Grasshoppers and Locusts.
Locusts continue to cause serious damage to agricultural crops and to farmlands, and considerable effort is expended in their control, primarily with aerial spraying.
Dr Rentz believes that a field guide can help ensure the best possible targeting of control activities for these pests and help to protect beneficial species of grasshoppers and locusts.
Grasshoppers also play an important role as 'indicators', says Dr Rentz.
"They are important for monitoring ecological activity because they are generally large, easily seen and collected, and abundant in arid parts of Australia. This is why they are used as 'indicator organisms' in habitat assessments and reclamation studies, for example, by mining companies," he says.
"A field guide would be an enormous asset to people working in these activities," said Dr Rentz.
More information from:
Dr David Rentz 02 6246 4286
Mr Malcolm Robertson 02 6246 4040, email: malcolm.robertson@ento.csiro.au
Colour photographs are available of grasshoppers from
Central Australia.
(Australia's largest scientific research organisation)
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