The role of egg pod foam and rearing conditions of the phase state of the Asian migratory locust Locusta migratoria migratoria (Orthoptera, Acrididae)

Coloration phase state, morphometrical ratios and the numbers of mature oocytes of Locusta migratoria migratoria were examined in a series of experiments to determine the means by which phase characteristics are passed to the next generation. Washing with distilled water of eggs from egg pods laid by gregarious crowd-reared females resulted in solitarization of the hatchlings after their isolation, indicating that a factor present in eggs encapsulated in foam is causal to gregarization. Such locusts showed a significant shift towards the typical solitarious body coloration, morphometry and number of mature oocytes as compared to locusts resulting from unwashed eggs. Gregarious coloration, morphometrical ratios and oocyte numbers could be partially restored when hatchlings from washed eggs were regrouped. When gregarious locusts were reared in isolation, they showed a solitary body color, whereas, morphometry and oocyte numbers were not affected by isolation.