A desert locust, Schitocerca gregaria or peregrina, just emerged from its last moult. Desert locusts undergo several moults in their nymphal phase and

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A desert locust, Schitocerca gregaria or peregrina, just emerged from its last moult. Desert locusts undergo several moults in their nymphal phase and it is only after the last one that they develop proper wings. These insects are well known for their voracity. They migrate in huge swarms formed by billions of insects, completely destroying every vegetable form along their path. They consume all sorts of plant substances from which their digestive system extracts water. Only by eating continuously, may desert locusts survive in hot and dry climates.

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Size: 5136px × 3540px
Photo credit: © CLAUDE NURIDSANY & MARIE PERENNOU/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: animal, desert, gregaria, insect, insecta, invertebrate, invertebrates, jointed, legs, locust, moulting, nature, peregrina, schistocerca, schitocerca, wildlife, zoology