Al-Lith

Solitary fledglings were reported on 23 January.

• The first breeding of the season probably followed the heavy rains in mid November with laying in late November, hatching in mid December and fledging from the last week of January onwards. The source of the adults that laid is thought to be produced from autumn 1996 breeding in the interior of Yemen.

Adults groups were seen copulating on 17 February. Solitary first and second instar hoppers were treated during the first half of April.

• Groups of adults laid in late February with subsequent hatching from mid March and fledging from mid April onwards.

Usfan - Tuwaal

A few mature swarms (8-18 sq. km in size) were seen coming from the west on 8 March, settling and copulating. High numbers of fourth and fifth instar hopper groups were moving from the Usfan Hills and crossing the Tuwwal-Jeddah expressway on 8 April. At the end of the month, a one sq. km high density (200-500 adults/m2) was sprayed.

• Laying probably occurred from the last week of February to the first week of March (supplemented by in-coming adults) with subsequent hatching during the second half of March and fledging during the last half of April. Most of the laying was near the Usfan Hills with hoppers moving out onto the Tuwwal plains.

Khulais

Gregarious hatching was first reported on 13 March at the same time when fledglings were present.

• Solitary laying first occurred around the third week of January with hatching by mid February and fledging during the second half of March. A second laying which was heavier occurred during the fourth week of February with high density hatching about mid March and fledging in mid April.

A "swarm" of yellow adults mixed with solitary adults appeared on 1 April at a time when control operations were in progress against solitary hoppers.

• Another heavy laying by adult groups or "swarms" occurred during the first week of April with subsequent hatching about the last week of the month and fledging during the last week of May.

Rabigh

Copulating and laying was reported during the second half of February.

• Laying occurred in late February with hatching the first half of March and fledging during the first half of April.

On 26 May, teams said that the last hoppers seen were about 15-20 days ago.

• Laying probably occurred around mid March with hatching during the first part of April and fledging from early May onwards.

Masturah

Solitary hoppers were seen up to 29 April and from then only fledglings and immature adults. Control operations were closed on 23 May.

• Solitary laying occurred in early March with hatching by the end of the month and fledging from the end of April onwards. During May, immature adults were present on the Masturah plains and supplemented by others from surrounding areas.

Badr

Solitary third to fifth instar hoppers were reported on 21 January.

• The first breeding of the season probably followed the heavy rains in mid November with laying from late November to late December, hatching in late December and early January and fledging from late January to mid February. The source of the adults that laid is thought to be produced from autumn 1996 breeding in the interior of Yemen.

Groups of adults appeared and laid on 11 March when solitary fourth and fifth instar hoppers and fledglings were present.

• Laying by solitary adults probably occurred during the last week of January and first week of February with hatching in mid February and fledging in mid March. Laying occurred again but at higher densities during the second week of March with hatching during the last week of the month and fledging from late April onwards.

Yanbu

Laying groups were reported in mid March. Control operations treated 4,150 ha of first to third instar hoppers during the first half of April.

• Groups of adults laid during the second week of March with subsequent hatching during the third week of the month and fledging by late April.

Groups of solitary and transiens adults were seen laying on 11 April in Wadi Fagir.

• A second laying by high numbers of solitary and transiens adults occurred about one month after the first in Wadi Fagir, with hatching in late April and fledging by the end of May.

Umm Lajj

Laying groups were reported on 11 March north and south of Umm Lajj.

• Groups of adults laid in early May which hatched during the last week of the month and fledged by the end of April.

Fifth instar solitary and transiens hoppers and fledglings were seen on 28 May.

• Another laying occurred in early April which produced solitary and transiens hoppers that hatched by the end of the month and fledged in late May.

Al-Wajh

Groups of transiens and gregarious fourth and fifth instar hoppers and fledglings were seen on the highway and in adjacent vegetation on 28 May.

• Laying occurred during the first three weeks of April by swarms that were not reported by locals who instead collected the adults to sell. Subsequent hatching occurred from mid April to early May and fledging after mid May.

Duba

No locusts seen during surveys on 8-26 April and on 28 May.

• Breeding does not appear to have occurred in Duba. Immature adults from adjacent areas appeared near Duba during May.

Taif (mountains east of Jeddah)

Solitary immature adults were reported during May.

• These almost certainly were produced during breeding on the Red Sea coast during March and April and have started moving east as a result of drying conditions on the coast.

Hail

Isolated solitary adults were first reported from the Hail region on 18 April and again at high densities on 3 May.

• This suggests that some adults produced from the breeding on the Red Sea coast have started moving off the drying coastal plains towards the interior probably during periods of westerly winds.

Unconfirmed report of locusts west of Riyadh on 31 May.

• Again, if confirmed, this is a clear indication of adult movement eastwards from the Red Sea coastal plains perhaps on westerly winds on 30-31 May or earlier.

• table of contents
• weather
• locust infestations
• control operations
• assessment