How long does it take for locusts to complete a generation?
The life cycle of a locust comprises three stages: egg, nymph and adult (picture). When it is warm and the soil is moist, eggs hatch in 2-3 weeks. If conditions are dry or cool, development of eggs is delayed. Eggs of the Australian plague locust can remain dormant for many months. The nymphs or hoppers develop in five to six stages (instars) and when conditions are ideal they take about 25-30 days to reach the adult stage. Adult Australian plague locusts and migratory locusts take about two weeks to become sexually mature. They can live for several months and lay up to three or four times. Under ideal conditions these species can complete a generation in 6-8 weeks and have up to three or four generations per year depending on rainfall. In contrast, the spur-throated locust only has one generation per year as the adults of this species remain sexually immature during the winter dry season. For more details on the biology and life-cycle of locusts see the About Locusts section.
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