A PLAGUE of locusts and an orchestra of crickets have joined the growing list of animals at Marwell Zoo.
The insects, housed in the zoo’s Arid Lands exhibit, near Café Graze, have proven popular with guests.
In the wild, desert locusts and two-spotted crickets would normally be found in desert habitats. The two-spotted crickets, which look a bit like a large black/brown beetle, often hide under logs and are adept at digging holes to create homes.
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Desert locusts are larger, grasshopper-like creatures that shed their skin several times during their development, as well as changing colour and growing wings.
The pinker-looking locusts among those currently on display are the older creatures within the group and will eventually turn yellow.
Locusts are infamous for travelling in swarms and destroying crops as they consume the equivalent of their own body weight each day.
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Invertebrates team leader Dan Garrick said: “The locusts will consume large amounts of green matter, so the team will be providing fresh browse daily.
“Guests may hear the crickets ‘singing’, this behaviour is done by males to attract females, possibly also to demark territory. It is achieved by the males rubbing their wings together and this behaviour is called stridulation.”
Both species jump and both lay eggs in the soil. The eggs can be expected to hatch after approximately two weeks in the right conditions.
For tickets and more information go to marwell.org.uk.
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