Are There Locusts in the United States?
Yes, the United States has insects called locusts and has had true swarming locusts, but it does not have recurring Desert Locust plagues. The famous Rocky Mountain Locust once formed immense western swarms and is now extinct, while other North American grasshoppers may be called locusts or may gather under unusual conditions. The name needs context because common names are not a reliable guide to swarm behavior.
What Does Locust Mean in the United States?
Biologically, a locust is a short-horned grasshopper species able to change from a more solitary form to a gregarious, group-forming form under crowding. In everyday American use, locust can also appear in names for grasshoppers that do not routinely make massive migratory swarms.
That is why a report of a locust in a garden does not automatically mean an international crop pest is present. Identify the insect, note where it was found, and distinguish a handful of grasshoppers from a dense, moving population. A true outbreak is defined by number, behavior, and impact, not by the word alone.
What Was the Rocky Mountain Locust?
The Rocky Mountain Locust, Melanoplus spretus, was North America’s best-known historic swarming grasshopper. In the nineteenth century it produced enormous migratory swarms that damaged crops across the western United States. Missouri Department of Conservation notes that it reached western Missouri during swarming years.
It went extinct in 1902. Its disappearance is a reminder that a locust’s history can be tied closely to habitat and land use, but the exact cause of extinction remains a subject of scientific discussion. What matters for a modern reader is simple: the legendary species behind many old U.S. swarm accounts is no longer alive.
What Is the High Plains Locust?
The High Plains Locust, Dissosteira longipennis, is another North American grasshopper with a swarm history. It formed swarms in the Midwest during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s, according to Missouri Department of Conservation. Today it is uncommon in parts of western Kansas and Colorado and rarely, if ever, forms swarms.
This example shows why weather and habitat matter. A species may have the capacity to gather under exceptional conditions without acting like a regular Desert Locust population. The presence of a named locust species does not predict a large outbreak on its own.
What About American Bird Grasshoppers?
The American bird grasshopper, Schistocerca americana, is widespread in eastern North America. It is also called the American bird locust in some references. NCBI records both common names, while Missouri Department of Conservation describes it as a species that can become gregarious and disperse under certain conditions.
It can be a pest of cultivated plants, especially in some southern settings, but it is not the same as the Desert Locust. Do not assume that a large green or brown bird grasshopper will build a continent-crossing swarm. Localized outbreaks and a global locust plague are very different events.
Could Central American Locusts Reach the United States?
The Central American Locust, Schistocerca piceifrons, is a large swarming species found in Central America. USDA Agricultural Research Service has noted that it had been found within roughly 300 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border, but that no U.S. occurrences had been documented in the project summary.
That does not make every grasshopper near the border a Central American Locust. It explains why agricultural agencies monitor pest movement and maintain identification expertise. Movement, climate, crop patterns, and survey records all matter when evaluating a potential range change.
Do American Grasshopper Outbreaks Still Matter?
Yes. USDA research notes periodic outbreaks of several grasshopper species in western states. These insects can damage rangeland and crops even if they are not classed as classic swarm-forming locusts. Mormon crickets also create conspicuous marching outbreaks, though they are katydids rather than true locusts.
For a gardener or landowner, the practical question is usually species and density. Local extension or agriculture staff can help identify a damaging grasshopper outbreak and explain any local response. Do not use stories of historic locust plagues as a diagnosis for every leaf-chewing insect.
What Is the Simple Answer?
Locust-related species and names exist in the United States, but the continent’s most famous true swarming locust is extinct. Some grasshoppers can gather or disperse, and other species create damaging outbreaks, yet those events are not the same as a Desert Locust plague.
For the broader biology behind swarms, migration, and phase change, see ten facts about locusts. The names are varied; the defining feature is a species’ response to crowding.
