Comparison of Australian plague locust and Austroicetes spp. adults

​​Comparison of Australian plague locust and Austroicetes spp. adults

Australian Plague Locust - Chortoicetes terminifera

Austroicetes cruciata

Austroicetes vulgaris (left) and Austroicetes frater (right)

Major differences between adults of these species: When not in swarms, adults of the Australian plague locust look similar to A.cruciata and other Austroicetes species but can be readily separated by:

• hindwings of Austroicetes do not have a dark tip as seen in plague locusts
• tibia of Austroicetes vary from light straw to orange but are rarely red
• size difference - plague locust adults are generally larger than Austroicetes

Species of Austroicetes (except A. cruciata) do not form swarms unlike the plague locust. When A. cruciata does form swarms it has a yellow phase. Other differences include markings on the rear femur (thigh) and the often saddle shaped thorax in Austroicetes.