Paper
Mormon Crickets: A Brighter Side
Published Aug 1, 1990 · C. Macvean
Rangelands Archives
11
Citations
1
Influential Citations
Abstract
In a recent appraisal of Mormon crickets (Anabrus simplex Haldeman), Raffelson (1989) reminds us that these insects are a subject of great concern and dislike among Western ranchers and farmers. Dating to the early encounter in 1848 between hordes of this insect and Mormon settlers in the Salt Lake Valley, sporadic outbreaks of crickets have indeed caused severe damage to crops, especially wheat and alfalfa (Cowen 1929, Wakeland 1959). However, on area rangelands where most cricket populations are found and where most control efforts have been and continue to be focused, damage to forage plants has been difficult to assess. Serious losses were documented only during the "dust bowl" era of the 1930's in a few, localized sites which suffered from drought and overgrazing in addition to high cricket densities (Swain 1944).
Mormon crickets cause severe damage to crops like wheat and alfalfa, but their impact on forage plants in rangelands is less clear and only significant during the 1930s dust bowl era.
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