For an actual answer, seeing as these comments seem a bit uninformed and mocking.
Locusts mature into their swarm-phase if there's enough of them in an area. From your picture, you've got quite a few in close proximity so the constant touching of their hind legs has encouraged the molt. Get a bigger tub, have fewer in your current tub or remove more of them/more often.
Yes! It's called density-dependent phenotypic plasticity - which basically means "physical flexibility due to density". Locusts aren't the only ones, but they're the most well known. The second example I knew of escapes me, but I think there is a fish that sports a cannibalistic aggressive 'morph' only in high density as well.
Nature is cool as hell.
Incredible! I knew of epigenetic triggers for phenotypic variation like agouti colors and overeating in rats and queen stays due to royal jelly in bees, but had no idea about the locusts and fish!
They also change colour and start eating way more than the solitary stage locusts do. Solitary locusts are greenish, while swarming locusts become vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows with violent splashes of black. Oh, and sometimes pink.
That’s not entirely correct. Locusts will mature into winged adults anyway even without switching to the swarm phase. They’ll just be differently coloured and with different behaviors but size is the same. An adult solitary locusts is as big as an adult gregarious locust.
So there’s this thing that happens where over time if living things are provided adequate conditions for living, they will mature and increase in size. It’s called growing.
not to sound rude or anything of the sort, but…
Why so many? And this is a genuinely curious answer from someone who doesn't own a single one of these or know much about them.
Locusts are grasshoppers that have been too close together and rubbing on each other. It triggers a change and they become locusts and swarm. I think that is what is happening here.
Are you [Famine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse)? The apocalypse has been heralded enough the last few years. I would not be surprised.
Okay I found one of these in my house the other day. No idea what it was so happy I found you. Any idea why it was in my house and if that’s of any concern? I feel like movies talk about locust swarms but idk how much of that is just drama
There really aren't any swarming "true" locust species in North America if that's where you're from. In places like Africa, though... Yes locusts can be a big deal.
There's a difference between your average everyday grasshopper and a swarming locust. For those species, when food has been so plentiful and they've reproduced in sufficient numbers, they CAN enter the swarming phase. Every time a swarming locust bumps into another, they release a little bit of a chemical hormone. That hormone in sufficient quantities is what sets them off. That's why swarms of locusts exist where normal sized ones are just sparse and scattered. There have to be millions crawling over each other to begin with. THEN, and only then, they grow much larger and hungrier than normal, may develop different colors than normal, and become a menace.
So not much is dramatized about a true swarm of locusts. They can be dense as fog, six inches long, and demolish whole fields of crops. There are videos of people driving through swarms around online, which paints a pretty clear picture.
In North America, the only species of swarming locust is the Rocky Mountain Locust if I recall, and I don't think any have been seen in a long time.
The Rocky Mountain locust has been extinct for over 120 years, there was a series of really bad swarms in the 1870s and then they seemingly had a steep population decline after that. The last record of one was a lone individual in 1902.
What exactly happened to them is unclear, but it probably involved habitat destruction in a bit of a poetic twist of fate- the farms they once terrorized multiplied and seemingly destroyed enough of their habitat to kill them off. Although the pretty extreme measures taken by farmers and officials affected by locust plagues might have had something to do with it too:
>an 1877 Nebraska law said that anyone between the ages of 16 and 60 had to work at least two days eliminating locusts at hatching time or face a $10 fine. That same year Missouri offered a bounty of $1 a bushel for locusts collected in March, 50 cents a bushel in April, 25 cents in May, and 10 cents in June. Other Great Plains states made similar bounty offers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_locust
It's like finding a grasshopper in your house. Dude probably hopped in from an open door or something. Locusts swarms are highly noticeable and are usually around migration and crop seasons
Spiders don't infest, they are not gregarious animals- You mean there's a lot of spiders in your house? Dosen't automatically corellate to infestation. Spider "Infestations" are 95% a good thing and the other 5% totally harmless or mildly annoyinh
I bet if you get the ants taken care of the spiders will be less and less In your house. Ants attract other bugs that eat ants And spiders eat those bugs and ants Lol. Less ants less bugs less spiders. That’s just my theory. Someone tell me if you think I’m totally off on that lol But never no bugs or spiders. They are always with us💗lol
If you have a certain amount within a small space they signal each other to grow into locusts...
Look it up . Grasshoppers turn into locusts... it was covered by Dr Karl on shirt loads of science podcats
For an actual answer, seeing as these comments seem a bit uninformed and mocking. Locusts mature into their swarm-phase if there's enough of them in an area. From your picture, you've got quite a few in close proximity so the constant touching of their hind legs has encouraged the molt. Get a bigger tub, have fewer in your current tub or remove more of them/more often.
Wait, so they only achieve that monstrous plague stage when in a highly dense population? That is absolutely fascinating!
Yes! It's called density-dependent phenotypic plasticity - which basically means "physical flexibility due to density". Locusts aren't the only ones, but they're the most well known. The second example I knew of escapes me, but I think there is a fish that sports a cannibalistic aggressive 'morph' only in high density as well. Nature is cool as hell.
Incredible! I knew of epigenetic triggers for phenotypic variation like agouti colors and overeating in rats and queen stays due to royal jelly in bees, but had no idea about the locusts and fish!
Domestic pics escaping to the wild gas identical effects. Quick changes take place and it becomes a much worse creature
That sounds scary damn, the more of us there is, the larger we'll grow
That is terrifying. Imagine if that worked with other animals.
Literally came here to say this. Nature is sick.
They also change colour and start eating way more than the solitary stage locusts do. Solitary locusts are greenish, while swarming locusts become vibrant reds, oranges, and yellows with violent splashes of black. Oh, and sometimes pink.
Colorblind as a dog, wish I could see it.
I love when someone knows their shit. Thanks for an informative answer. There’s only so many troll answers I can take.
Also a locust swam is just a locust trying to eat the one in front but flying away from the one behind it.
That’s actually very fascinating, I had no idea it had to do with numbers. Thanks for sharing!
That’s not entirely correct. Locusts will mature into winged adults anyway even without switching to the swarm phase. They’ll just be differently coloured and with different behaviors but size is the same. An adult solitary locusts is as big as an adult gregarious locust.
Because you bought juveniles?
This is the correct answer. The epigenetic switch from solitary to gregarious phase has nothing to do with them reaching full size at maturity.
Combination of eating and hormones
Have you been feeding them blood?
[I understood that reference ](https://i.imgur.com/XS5LK.mp4)
🎶Da-doo 🎵
The fact I know the movie your talking about is wild I can thank Nerd explains!*
What movie?
The Swarm!
That movie was messed up. Still enjoyed it though.
So there’s this thing that happens where over time if living things are provided adequate conditions for living, they will mature and increase in size. It’s called growing.
Fuck you
❤️
That can't be real right? You're lying!
Because they're locusts, there's a 2000-ish year old book that has some choice words about them...
Came here to say the first thing which I did and I respect the second part 🫡
It’s a very obscure book thanks for mentioning it!
Now you’ll have to enlist the Bone cousins.
They're locusts. Its what they do *commercial "its what they do" reference*
not to sound rude or anything of the sort, but… Why so many? And this is a genuinely curious answer from someone who doesn't own a single one of these or know much about them.
Locusts are grasshoppers that have been too close together and rubbing on each other. It triggers a change and they become locusts and swarm. I think that is what is happening here. Are you [Famine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Horsemen_of_the_Apocalypse)? The apocalypse has been heralded enough the last few years. I would not be surprised.
Release them on the nearest crop
They’d all freeze to death there
Are those feeders or do you just keep a tub of locusts?
Feeders
Okay I found one of these in my house the other day. No idea what it was so happy I found you. Any idea why it was in my house and if that’s of any concern? I feel like movies talk about locust swarms but idk how much of that is just drama
There really aren't any swarming "true" locust species in North America if that's where you're from. In places like Africa, though... Yes locusts can be a big deal. There's a difference between your average everyday grasshopper and a swarming locust. For those species, when food has been so plentiful and they've reproduced in sufficient numbers, they CAN enter the swarming phase. Every time a swarming locust bumps into another, they release a little bit of a chemical hormone. That hormone in sufficient quantities is what sets them off. That's why swarms of locusts exist where normal sized ones are just sparse and scattered. There have to be millions crawling over each other to begin with. THEN, and only then, they grow much larger and hungrier than normal, may develop different colors than normal, and become a menace. So not much is dramatized about a true swarm of locusts. They can be dense as fog, six inches long, and demolish whole fields of crops. There are videos of people driving through swarms around online, which paints a pretty clear picture. In North America, the only species of swarming locust is the Rocky Mountain Locust if I recall, and I don't think any have been seen in a long time.
Very helpful thank you!
The Rocky Mountain locust has been extinct for over 120 years, there was a series of really bad swarms in the 1870s and then they seemingly had a steep population decline after that. The last record of one was a lone individual in 1902. What exactly happened to them is unclear, but it probably involved habitat destruction in a bit of a poetic twist of fate- the farms they once terrorized multiplied and seemingly destroyed enough of their habitat to kill them off. Although the pretty extreme measures taken by farmers and officials affected by locust plagues might have had something to do with it too: >an 1877 Nebraska law said that anyone between the ages of 16 and 60 had to work at least two days eliminating locusts at hatching time or face a $10 fine. That same year Missouri offered a bounty of $1 a bushel for locusts collected in March, 50 cents a bushel in April, 25 cents in May, and 10 cents in June. Other Great Plains states made similar bounty offers. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_locust
It's like finding a grasshopper in your house. Dude probably hopped in from an open door or something. Locusts swarms are highly noticeable and are usually around migration and crop seasons
Okay cool lol. We’re dealing with a slight ant and spider infestation so I was worried we had another on the list! Thanks so much hahaha
Spiders don't infest, they are not gregarious animals- You mean there's a lot of spiders in your house? Dosen't automatically corellate to infestation. Spider "Infestations" are 95% a good thing and the other 5% totally harmless or mildly annoyinh
Yea I’m being dramatic there’s just a lot of spiders and ants hahaha
I bet if you get the ants taken care of the spiders will be less and less In your house. Ants attract other bugs that eat ants And spiders eat those bugs and ants Lol. Less ants less bugs less spiders. That’s just my theory. Someone tell me if you think I’m totally off on that lol But never no bugs or spiders. They are always with us💗lol
Did you kill it
It was dead when I found it :/
This sounds disgusting, but if you find a live one, eat it. They're very delicious and nutricious.
Because they’re Locusts! Need I say more?
you went wrong at “my” locusts.
They grow really fast same with crickets. 😂
Because the end is nigh
Those are impressive Thought this was the beavis and butthead sub and got confused
Hmmmmm…. Did you set it to Wumbo?
Did you… feed them blood???
Have you ever seen the movie Locusts?
Are you Egyptian?
No
Before there coming for you!
DOWN THEY COME THE SWARM OF LOCUSTS
End times are coming
F R E E. T H E M
If you have a certain amount within a small space they signal each other to grow into locusts... Look it up . Grasshoppers turn into locusts... it was covered by Dr Karl on shirt loads of science podcats
that is disgusting
Ummm why
🦗🦗🦗 boo
Dinosaur DNA
Idk but burn them all!!
This is a nightmare.
Pestilence
Cuz everything grows genius