Locusts Fly from Africa to Pakistan: How They Arrived – Three Key Factors
Uncle Mu's international commentary, let's talk about the locust plague that everyone is concerned about.
Some friends question, how powerful are these locusts? How can they fly from Africa to India and Pakistan?
This locust, scientifically named the Sahara Desert locust,
This is not a common locust, it's a group-oriented and dangerous species that specializes in forming disasters.
Just from the name, you can see two characteristics.
These two characteristics are the main reasons why these insects can travel thousands of miles to Southwest Asia:
First, they like dry and sunny places.
That's why the name contains 'desert' – it's clearly related to their living habits.
If they liked humid areas, could they still be called 'desert'?
It's clear that their living and activity areas are relatively dry, especially with plenty of sunlight.
And Africa, India, Pakistan, and many regions in the Middle East fit this characteristic.
Therefore, their appearance and outbreak in these areas are a natural phenomenon.
Second, they have strong flight capabilities.
Don't think that the grasshoppers we see daily can fly – they basically rely on treaties, their flying ability has degraded.
Truly possessing flight capabilities and sustained flight are a few locusts, notably the Sahara Desert locust and the East Asian locust.
'Fly locust' refers to their strong flight foraging ability.
Generally, their daily flight length and distance can reach 100-150 kilometers, and the furthest is about 200 kilometers. This is difficult for ordinary grasshoppers to match.
The Sahara Desert locust has similar characteristics, so it can fly across mountains and seas and enter wider areas to cause disasters.
In addition to the above two characteristics, the Sahara Desert locust has a third advantage –
A natural force – wind.
With the changes in Indian Ocean currents and wind direction every year, they will follow the wind and dance.
As the saying goes – good wind propels power, send me to ascending to the clouds.
The airflow provided assistance for the locusts to cross from Africa into Southwest Asia. These little guys are easier to cross borders.
The areas in India, Pakistan, and Iran that experienced locust plagues are near the coast, dry areas –
This is a good landing and feeding place for locusts.
Therefore, over decades, similar locust plagues have occurred repeatedly in these areas, and the area is basically consistent, which is related to this natural environment.
