Assessing the size of populations of adults of the red locust, Nomadacris septemfasciata (Serv.), in their outbreak areas by means of a helicopter

Abstract

Populations of the red locust, Nomadacris septemfasciata (Serv.), can build up to large numbers in certain of the grass plains of south-central Africa. Adult populations are always under-dispersed, and estimates of their size can be made economically only by counting the locusts flushed on line traverses of considerable length. It is necessary, in such traverses, to determine the width of the strip swept, the proportion of the locusts in it that are flushed, and the accuracy with which these are counted. Investigations into the use of a three-seat Hiller helicopter for this purpose were carried out in south-west Tanzania in 1964–65. It proved possible to cause virtually all the locusts in a strip the width of the rotor blades to rise ahead of the machine, provided it was flown at a height of about 10 ft. and at less than 10 m.p.h. and neither in the early morning nor in the late evening. A comparison of estimates of the size of the population in a 1-sq.-mile plot made by Land-Rover traverses with those made by helicopter, both when the traverse strip was marked on the ground and when it was assessed from within the helicopter, showed no evidence of systematic errors in estimating from the helicopter either the number of locusts flushed or the width of strip. Further, two observers simultaneously counting locusts rising from one strip achieved very similar results. Thus, estimation of the size of a complete outbreak-area population by means of a helicopter is clearly possible.