FAO DESERT LOCUST BULLETIN NO. 261
GENERAL SITUATION DURING JUNE 2000
FORECAST UNTIL MID-AUGUST 2000

(issued 4 July 2000)

Western Region. There was a report of mature adults in the Dakhlet, Mauritania in mid June. Some scattered solitarious adults were seen in central Aïr, Niger and isolated adults were seen in Morocco. Although no reports were received from other countries in the Region, the current situation is expected to be calm with only a possibility of some adults in south-eastern Algeria. Low numbers of adults are likely to appear in southern Mauritania during the forecast period and lay with the onset of the rains. Adults may also appear and lay in areas of recent rainfall in the eastern Tamesna, Niger. Both areas require regular monitoring in the coming months.

Central Region. Mature adult populations were treated in a cultivated area in the Western Desert of Egypt. Scattered and isolated adults were present in northern Somalia. No locusts were reported in the summer breeding areas of Sudan. Small scale breeding is expected to commence during the forecast period in areas of recent rainfall in the interior of Sudan. Elsewhere, the situation will remain calm.

Eastern Region. No locusts were reported in the Region. Low numbers of adults may appear in the summer breeding areas along the Indo-Pakistan border and lay with the onset of the monsoon rains. Breeding this year is expected to be on a very small scale.

In West Africa, the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) broadly fluctuated between 140N and 180N during June. As a result some light to heavy rains fell in parts of the northern Sahel except in southern Mauritania where only sporadic light rains were reported (see map). Most of these rains were below the thirty year average for June except in the Aïr region of Niger where nearly 40 mm of rain fell in Agadez which is almost four times the monthly long term average. Winds were highly variable over the Sahelian countries as a result of the fluctuating ITCZ position. Despite sporadic light rain showers, most of the vegetation in southern Mauritania is dry and conditions remain unfavourable for breeding. Elsewhere in the northern Sahel, favourable breeding conditions should slowly develop.

In North-West Africa, light rain was reported by few stations from Morocco to Tunisia. During the first dekad of June, light to perhaps heavy showers were reported in the Hoggar Mountains of southern Algeria, extending to the Djanet area. Analysis of SPOT-Vegetation satellite imagery suggested that current vegetation continues to dry out or is completely dry in locust areas of all countries in the Region.

In Eastern Africa, light rains fell in parts of the summer breeding areas in Northern Darfur, Northern Kordofan and near Kassala, Sudan and moderate rains were reported at El Fasher (21 mm). Although these amounts were well below the long term average for June, green vegetation was present and conditions are favourable for breeding in Northern Kordofan as a result of rainfall during the past two months. A few light showers occurred in northern Somalia where vegetation is drying out on the central northern coastal plains but remains green in the wadis as well as on the escarpment in the interior. The south-westerly wind flow over the Horn of Africa that is associated with the South-West Asian monsoon is well established. Dry conditions persisted on the coastal plains of Eritrea.

In the Near East, no significant rainfall was reported from the Region except for the Tihama coastal plains of Yemen where light rains fell in the north and heavier rains falls in the south on 28 June. Vegetation was dry and conditions continued to be unfavourable for breeding along the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coastal plains, in 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 where a serious drought continues. Only few areas of eastern Rajasthan, India reported light to moderate showers during one day in June. Dry conditions persisted in Baluchistan of western Pakistan and south-eastern Iran.

Egypt no details (24 June)

On the 14th of June, some groups of mature adults were reported east of Nouadhibou in the Dakhlet near Bou Lanouar (2116N/1630W) and the Moroccan border. These populations are probably those previously seen in the extreme south-western Morocco near Bir Guendouz (2124N/1634W) during May [see DL Bulletin No. 260] which are in the process of moving south towards the summer breeding areas. No other locust activity was reported during the month.

No reports received.

During the first week of June, scattered solitarious adults were seen in central and northern Aïr near Assode (1825N/0838E), Oued Zilalet and Iko (1846N/0804E). No locusts were seen elsewhere in northern Air near Tadreck nor in the Irhazer area of the Tamesna during the month.

No reports received.

No reports received.

No reports received.

A few isolated adults were reported near Errachidia at Merzouga (3102N/0400W) on 5 June.

No locusts were reported during June.

A late report indicated that a single mature adult was seen on 8 May in the Matmata El Jadida (3340N/1001E) region of the south.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out in Northern Kordofan from 7-30 June. There was an unconfirmed report of a swarm on 1 June in the extreme north of Northern Kordofan flying from the south-east towards the north in Wadi Almuhbes (1545N/2947E). Given the low population numbers in the Region and generally dry conditions up to now, this may not be a swarm.

No locusts were reported along the Red Sea coast and in the interior during June.

Scattered mature adults were seen on the northern coast west of Berber near Sabawanak (1033N/4405E) and near the foothills in Wadi Osoli (1033N/4348E) on 4 June, and east of Berber near Hodmo (1034N/4618E) on the 20th.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out on 11-19 June in the eastern part of the country from Dire Dawa to the Djibouti border.

No reports received.

No locusts were reported along the Red Sea coastal plains or in the interior during June.

No locusts were reported during the first half of June from the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden coastal plains.

Mature transiens adults at densities of 2-3 per sq. m. in cropping areas were treated on 26 June in El-Heiz (2802N/2838E) in the Western Desert. It is unclear if these are Desert Locust or a local species of grasshopper. No other locusts were seen during surveys on the Red Sea coastal plains from Safaga to the Sudanese border, in adjacent subcoastal areas, and in other parts of the Western Desert.

No locusts were reported during May.

The situation is reported to be calm and no surveys were conducted during June.

No reports received.

A late report indicated that no locusts were seen during surveys carried out on 22 April to 23 May in Hormozgan and Kerman provinces.

No locusts were reported during June.

No locusts were seen during surveys carried out in Rajasthan during the second half of May and the first half of June.

No reports received.

Madagascar. Gregarious Malagasy Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria capito) adults persisted and swarms continued to form mainly in the central western portion of the country during May and early June. The situation is reported to have deteriorated during the rainy season which suggests that there is a risk of a re-invasion later this year.

Kazakhstan. During June, large-scale operations were in progress against the Italian Locust (Calliptamus italicus) north of the 49th parallel from the north-western to the eastern part of the country. All hopper instars were present and hatching is continuing in a few areas. Some adults appeared in the south in mid-June.

China. Dry weather has favoured the development of a serious locust outbreak in the eastern provinces as well as another outbreak in the north-west. In mid June, about 1 million ha were reported to be infested in the former area by what is thought to be Migratory Locust (Locusta migratoria) at densities up to 4,000 adults per ha. About 2 million ha of Migratory Locust and 33,000 ha of Italian Locust, at densities up to 1,000 adults per ha, were reported in the north-west. Control operations are in progress.

Peru. An outbreak of Peruvian Locust (Schistocerca piceifrons peruviana) has developed in the northern highlands and in the adjacent coastal areas where crop damage has been reported. There may be a risk that some swarms could move to southern Ecuador.

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.

FAO Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Eastern Region of its Distribution Area in South West Asia. The 13th session of the Executive Committee and the 22nd session of the Commission will be held in Tehran, I.R. Iran on 17-21 September.

Monthly rainfall maps. Maps of monthly rainfall for 2000 (January - June) are available on the locust webpages: http://www.fao.org/news/global/locusts/archiv00.htm.