desert locust

noun

: a destructive migratory locust (Schistocerca gregaria) of southwestern Asia and parts of northern Africa

Examples of desert locust in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Based on Robert’s estimates, the atmospheric charge resulting from a swarm of desert locusts rivals that of clouds and electrical storms. Max G. Levy, WIRED, 27 Oct. 2024 For instance, mealworms can only be eaten in the larva stage, while American desert locusts can only be eaten in the adult stage. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 July 2024 Between 2065 and 2100, desert locusts’ range could expand by as much as 13 to 25 percent as a result of cyclical droughts—providing the hot, dry weather in which locusts thrive—and occasional heavy rains, which allow their eggs to incubate in damp soil. Christian Thorsberg, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2024 Moreover, a mechanical way to separate different frequencies of sound with the precision of, for example, the ear of the desert locust Schistocerca gregaria would prove useful for cochlear implants, Reid says. IEEE Spectrum, 22 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for desert locust 

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of desert locust was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near desert locust

Cite this Entry

“Desert locust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desert%20locust. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

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