Template:POTD/2008-04-11

A pair of rice grasshoppers (Oxya yezoensis), a pest of rice in Asia. The male is on the right, about 30 mm (1.2 in) in length, and the female is on the left, about 40 mm (1.6 in) long. This species is one of many species of grasshopper around the world which, in its swarming phase, is known as a locust. These are species that can breed rapidly under suitable conditions and subsequently become gregarious and migratory. They form bands as nymphs and swarms as adults—both of which can travel great distances, rapidly stripping fields and greatly damaging crops.

Photo credit: Laitche
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