FAO DESERT LOCUST BULLETIN NO.
260
GENERAL SITUATION DURING MAY 2000
FORECAST UNTIL MID-JULY 2000
(issued 5 June 2000)
1. SUMMARY
The Desert Locust situation remained calm during May in all regions. No locusts were reported from the previously infested areas of Algeria and Libya. Breeding conditions are improving in Sudan and Somalia where small scale laying may occur during the forecast period. By the end of the period, small scale laying may also occur in southern Mauritania if the rain starts.
Western Region. No locusts were reported during May except for an unconfirmed sighting of flying groups in Adrar, Mauritania. A few small adult groups were reported in the extreme south-west of Morocco and a few adults were also seen in the north-east. No locusts were observed during surveys carried out in the south-east and in the central Sahara of Algeria, nor were any seen in Libya. A late report indicated that 710 ha of fifth instar hoppers and fledglings were treated in mid-April in south-eastern Aïr, Niger. Low numbers of adults are likely to appear in southern Mauritania during the forecast period and lay with the onset of the rains.
Central Region. Scattered and isolated adults were present in northern Somalia. No locusts were reported in the summer breeding areas of Sudan. Small scale breeding may commence during the forecast period in areas of recent rainfall in the interior of Sudan and in northern Somalia.
Eastern Region. Low numbers of adults were present during April and throughout May in the coastal areas of Baluchistan, western Pakistan. No locusts were reported from Rajasthan, India from mid-April to mid-May. The low numbers of locusts present in the spring breeding areas of Baluchistan suggest that movement towards the Indo-Pakistan border and subsequent breeding will be on a very small scale this summer.
2. WEATHER & ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS IN MAY 2000
Dry weather prevailed in most locust areas during May. Conditions were drying up and remained unfavourable for breeding except in northern Somalia and Sudan where they may be improving as a result of recent rainfall.
In West Africa, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) moved progressively northwards reaching about 150N by the middle of May and then fluctuating between 150N and 200N during the remainder of the month. As a result, light rainfall was reported during the second half of the month in some areas of the northern Sahelian belt. An important Mediterranean depression which affected Morocco and Algeria in the beginning of the third dekad produced some light to medium rainfall in northern Mauritania (Bir Moghrein) where standing water was reported. The prevailing winds (harmattan) were from the north-east and east over the Sahelian countries except in western Mauritania where northerly winds occurred. Despite these sporadic and isolated showers, most of the vegetation in northern Mauritania is drying out. A few patches of green vegetation remained in wadis and low-lying areas near Bir Moghrein, in a few places of the Adrar des Iforas in northern Mali and in parts of the south-eastern Aïr, Niger. Unfavourable breeding conditions prevailed in nearly all areas.
In North-West Africa, light to heavy rains were reported by most stations from Morocco to western Libya. As a result of several depressions over the Mediterranean basin, warm south-westerly winds prevailed over the Region. Vegetation was reported to be drying out or totally dry in all countries. Consequently, conditions are not favourable for locust breeding.
In Eastern Africa, widespread light to locally heavy rains fell in the northern Sahelian area of Sudan during the second dekad of May, with El Fasher receiving 19 mm and El Obeid 36 mm. This is about two and three times the monthly long term average, respectively. Widespread moderate rains fell in northern Somalia throughout the entire month. As a result, vegetation was green on the central northern coastal plains and in the adjacent interior areas and breeding conditions were improving. The south-westerly wind flow over the Horn of Africa that is associated with the South-West Asian monsoon became well established from the second dekad onwards.
In the Near East, only light rain fell in the Asir Mountains of southern Saudi Arabia. Consequently, vegetation was dry and conditions continued to be unfavourable for breeding along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coastal plains, in the spring breeding areas of the interior of Saudi Arabia, and on the Batinah coast of northern Oman.
In South-West Asia, no significant rainfall was reported from the Region. Conditions continued to be dry in the spring breeding areas of Baluchistan in western Pakistan and in the adjacent areas of south-eastern Iran. A serious drought persisted in Rajasthan, India which was temporarily broken by light rainfall in Barmer during the first half of May.
3. AREA TREATED
Algeria 650 ha (26-27 April)
Niger 710 ha (13-15 April)
4. DESERT LOCUST SITUATION AND FORECAST
(see also the summary on the first page)
WEST AFRICA
Mauritania
- Situation
During the first week of May, there was an unconfirmed report of a few flying groups in Adrar, east of Oudane (2055N/1125W). No other locust activity was reported during the month.
- Forecast
Scattered residual populations may persist in the remaining green patches of vegetation along the wadis in the Bir Moghrein and El Hank areas. As the vegetation dries out, these populations are expected to move south towards the summer breeding areas in Tagant and the two Hodhs where they are expected to mature and lay with the onset of the rains. Adults in the Dhar of Tichitt will slowly mature as ecological conditions improve.
Mali
- Situation
No reports received.
- Forecast
Low numbers of locusts may be present and are likely to persist in a few wadis in the Adrar des Iforas. Limited laying could commence at the end of the forecast period if rainfall occurs.
Niger
- Situation
During April, scattered solitarious adults and transiens populations were seen during surveys carried out on the 10-17th in south-eastern Aïr towards Areschima-Sud (1801N/0958E). Control operations treated 710 ha on the 13-15th at three sites against fifth instar hoppers at densities up to 6,000 hoppers per bush and fledglings at densities varying from 100 to 10,000 per ha.
- Forecast
Untreated adults may persist in the limited areas of green vegetation. These could move west towards Tamesna and lay at the end of the forecast period if rainfall occurs.
Chad
- Situation
No reports received.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Senegal
- Situation
No reports received.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Guinea Conakry
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
NORTH-WEST AFRICA
Algeria
- Situation
On 26-27 April, first to third instar hoppers at densities up to 250 per bush were treated on 650 ha south-east of Djanet (2434N/0930E). No locusts were observed in this area and in the Central Sahara during May.
- Forecast
Any locusts that may have escaped detection or control may move on a small scale towards the summer breeding areas of the Sahel. No significant developments are expected during the forecast period.
Morocco
- Situation
A few isolated immature adults were reported in the north-east at El Khat (3250N/0227W) on 12 May. Seven small groups were seen in the extreme south-west at Bir Guendouz (2124N/1634W) on the 15th.
- Forecast
Locusts in the south-west will, as a result of drying conditions, probably move on a small scale south-east towards the summer breeding areas of Mauritania. Locust numbers will continue to decline along the southern side of the Atlas Mountains in the north-east.
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
- Situation
No locusts were reported during May.
- Forecast
Any hoppers that may have escaped detection or control in the extreme south-west, near the Algerian border, will continue to develop and fledge at the beginning of the forecast period. As the vegetation dries and conditions are no longer suitable for breeding, these adults are expected to move south towards the summer breeding areas of the Sahel. Further breeding is unlikely along the Algerian border.
Tunisia
- Situation
No locusts were reported during April.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
EASTERN AFRICA
Sudan
- Situation
No locusts were reported in the summer breeding areas up to 25 May.
- Forecast
Low numbers of adults may be present on the western side of the Red Sea Hills north of Kassala. These could move west towards Northern Kordofan and Northern Darfur during the forecast period and perhaps lay on a small scale in areas of recent rainfall, if additional rain falls.
Eritrea
- Situation
No locusts were reported during May.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Somalia
- Situation
Scattered and isolated mature adults were seen on the coastal plains north Erigavo at Wadi Ukrooi (1101N/4733E) and at Hadaftimo (1044N/4807E), respectively, on 26-27 May. No other locusts were seen during a survey carried out on 23-29 May on the coastal plains and the interior.
- Forecast
Small scale breeding may start in the above areas during the forecast period. No significant developments are likely.
Ethiopia
- Situation
No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on 6-14 May in the eastern part of the country from Dire Dawa to the Djibouti border.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Djibouti
- Situation
No reports received.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
NEAR EAST
Saudi Arabia
- Situation
No locusts were reported from the spring breeding areas of the Red Sea coastal plains and in the interior during May.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Yemen
- Situation
No locusts were reported up to 8 May.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Egypt
- Situation
No locusts were seen on 23 May during surveys on the Red Sea coastal plains from Safaga to the Sudanese border, in adjacent subcoastal areas, and in the Western Desert at Sh. Owainat.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Kuwait
- Situation
No reports received.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Oman
- Situation
No locusts were seen during surveys in the spring breeding areas on the Batinah coast and in the interior on 11-18 May.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
United Arab Emirates
- Situation
No reports received.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Qatar, Syria Arab Republic and Turkey
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
SOUTH-WEST ASIA
Iran
- Situation
A late report indicated that no locusts were seen during a joint survey of coastal and interior areas of Sistan-Baluchistan, Hormozgan and Kerman provinces during the second half of April. No locusts were seen during a survey carried out on the coastal plains near Jask (2540N/5746E) on 15 May.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
Pakistan
- Situation
During April, low numbers of mature and maturing solitary adults, up to 4 per ha, were reported from 24 places throughout the coastal and interior areas of Baluchistan.
During May, isolated locusts were found at only 13 places in the above mentioned areas. Densities remained the same as in April.
- Forecast
Locust numbers will decline in the spring breeding areas of Baluchistan and only isolated individuals are expected to move towards the Indo-Pakistan border during the forecast period. Consequently, initial locust numbers in the summer breeding areas will be extremely low this year and no significant developments are likely.
India
- Situation
No locusts were seen during surveys carried out in Rajasthan during the second half of April and the first half of May.
- Forecast
A few isolated adults are likely to appear in Rajasthan and lay on a very small scale with the onset of the monsoon rains. No significant developments are likely.
Afghanistan
- Situation
No reports received.
- Forecast
No significant developments are likely.
5. ANNOUNCEMENTS
Locust reporting. Affected countries are kindly reminded to make sure that locust situation reports are sent to FAO HQ by the 25th day of the month so the information can be included in the FAO bulletin for the current month; otherwise, it will not appear until the following month. Reports should be sent even if no locusts were found or if no surveys were conducted.
Reporting by email. Affected countries are encouraged to send completed FAO Locust Survey Forms with a brief interpretation of the results by email to eclo@fao.org.
DLCC Technical Group. The 7th session of the Technical Group of the FAO Desert Locust Control Committee will be held in Rome on 12-15 June. The Group will discuss Desert Locust guidelines, environmental monitoring, training and research networking, and the DLCC mandate.
NW Africa Executive Committee. The 29th session of the Executive Committee of the FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in North-West Africa will be held in Algiers on 24-29 June.