desert locust

noun

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

Examples of desert locust in a Sentence

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On top of that, medical companies raise blowfly larvae to clean wounds, desert locusts for compounds that might help reduce the risk of heart disease, and lac insects for their secretions, which are used to coat pills. Bob Fischer, The Conversation, 4 Apr. 2025 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 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

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Cite this Entry

“Desert locust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desert%20locust. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

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