How much does a locust eat in a day?
An Australian plague locust eats approximately one third to one half of its body weight per day throughout its life. Therefore, a mature adult Australian plague locust may eat about 0.2 grams (g) of vegetation per day on average. Densities of adult Australian plague locusts in settled swarms usually range from about 4 to 50 metres (m)2. Therefore, a swarm covering an area of 1km2 would eat between 0.8 and 10 tonnes of vegetation in one day, depending on locust density.