The Wilmington morning star., 1940-06-17
BIG LOCUST ARMY
WILL VISIT STATE
One Of Four Main BrOOdS OF
17-Year Locusts Will APP
pear This Summer

An enormous army will swarm
down on North Carolina farms this
year, do some damage, and then
retire until 1857 when the same
operation will be repeated.
DR.. z. P. Metcalf, head of the
N. c. State College Zoology and
Entomology Department, explains
mat this summer is the time for
one of the four. main broods OF
17-year locusts to make an ap.
pearance.
"Perhaps," the State College
man said, mo insect in the United
States attracts more attention than
the 17-year locust. There r two
reasons why this is SO. In the
first place, the insect occurs in
tremendous numbers, and in the
second place, the noise it makes
with it's songs is always notice.
able"
Actually, DR.. Metcalf explained,
this periodic visitor is not a true
locust, but is related closely tt
the ordinary July fly, or June fly,
Because the insect occurs in such
great swarms, it was confused by
early settlers with locusts of the
Bible.
However, he went on, the Bibli
cal locust is a member of the
grasshopper family, the same in
sect which frequently ravages
crops in the midwestern states
Some of these locusts have done
tremendous damage and are ar
eve1-present source Of worry tt
Great Plains farmers.
On the other hand, the 17-yeal
locust familiar to North Caroline
farmers does little damage tt
crops under ordinary circum
stances: The principal harm is in
flicted by the females which Sill
the braches of trees and lay theil
eggs in these Sits.
Should an army of these insects
swarm over a young orchard, fol
example, the damage may be
heavy. However, these locusts dt
not have a sting, and they do no
bite people. Neither do they poison
blackberries or other fruits.
DR.. Metcalf pointed out that there
are two races of this insect, {
more southern 13-year race and {
more northern 17-year race. Botf
are familiar to North Carolina
farmers.
In the 13-year race, thirteen
years elapse between the laying
of the eggs and the emergence o:
the adult locusts. In the 17-yea1
race, seventeen years will pas:
between the time the eggs are laie
and the coming out of the adults
For instance, DR.. Metcalf ex
planned, the 17-year brood which
will emerge and lay their egg:
this June will not be seen agar
until 1857. The eggs laid now vii
hatch in six to seven weeks, ther
the young nymphs will crawl into
the ground and attach themselve:
to a root where they will remain
suching the sap from the root:
until the summer of 1857 wher
they will emerge as adults.
The State College entomologis'
explained that there are four MAR
broods of the 17-year race and two
main broods of the 13-year race
in North Carolina.
""This has led to some confusion
and to the belief that this locus
occurs every year." DR.. Metcal
said. "But the past distribution Of
all these broods is well known
However, cutting woodlands ano
brood &c a parti,:rta: region"
The br:.ud that em".'ges this June
has bean recorded in the past
throughout the molltains from the
following counties: Wilkes. Wat
auga, Caldwell, Mitchell, Yancey,
Haywood, and Jackson.
Another 17-year brood is due in
1912, another in 1913, another in
1949. and still anther in 1857.
The next 13-year brood will come
out in 1915 and the other in 1916.
These are main broods, and there
may be smaller ones in scattered
areas.
Principally. the locusts are cen
tered in Western North Carolina,
but some come as far east as
Raleigh. However, there r few
east of the capital city.
The Union stockyards of Chi
q n &c in- the lnrdnct li1koctnnI raor-