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Teknaf upazila in the southern district of Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh has recently seen some small insects like grasshoppers that cannot ly.

Hundreds of such insects have been reported to be attacking and destroying the homes of the locals.

These black-striped insects look a lot like locusts, said Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University Professor of Entomology. Md. Ruhul Amin.

After the news of the insect attack spread, the agriculture officer from Cox's Bazar came and collected the samples of the insects and took them away.

They said they had never seen such insects before.

Looking at the pictures of the insects, Professor Ruhul Amin thinks that they are locusts of the species Schistosarca gregaria. Which tend to be quite devastating.

Locusta migratory species are found in Bangladesh. Which are like grasshoppers. Although large in size, not too harmful.

If these new species of small insects become locusts and are not controlled now, he fears a major catastrophe ahead. Amen.

Because locusts are perennial insects. They swarm the grain, the crop, and the forest, destroying everything.

Since the insect is eating and destroying many plants, the agriculture officials of Teknaf Upazila also think that it is harmful.

They advised the locals to spray pesticides so that the insects do not spread again.

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Since the end of last year, locusts have swarmed several countries in the Middle East, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia in Africa, causing extensive crop damage.

Earlier this year, locust infestations in Pakistan caused extensive damage to crops. Due to which a state of emergency has to be declared in the country.

A number of neighboring states were alerted when the locusts entered the Indian state of Punjab.

Locust infestations have also occurred in China and Myanmar.

Since the swarms of locusts have reached India and Myanmar, they are feared to enter Bangladesh. Amin, which could be a thunder signal for Bangladesh.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had earlier expressed concern that a food crisis could erupt in Bangladesh due to the outbreak of coronavirus.

In the meanwhile, boro paddy has ripened all over the country but it has not been possible to harvest all the crops due to lack of agricultural labor and machinery.

Experts fear that if the locusts hit at such a time, a large amount of paddy will be destroyed, which could lead to a food crisis.

This is because, according to experts, locusts usually attack cereal crops such as paddy, wheat, barley, maize, kaun, etc.

A swarm of locusts contains hundreds of insects and they fly very fast. Which can destroy crop after acre of land in an instant in groups.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations says a large locust can eat up to 120 miles of land a day.

The company said that the amount of food that a square kilometer-sized locust eats together can feed 35,000 people a year.

Image caption: Insect experts say these insects look a lot like locusts.

Mr. The life cycle of a locust is completed very quickly in about three to four weeks, Amin said. And in warmer climates they breed more and more.

The life cycle of locusts consists of three stages, egg, nymph and adult.

The insects seen in Teknaf have wings but none of them can fly. They jump from page to page.

Mr. Amin thinks the locusts may be in the nymph stage. In a few days, their fan can grow.

These insects usually migrate as they grow in number and destroy the crops on the way.

The locals are worried that the number of these insects is increasing day by day in Teknaf.

However, Cox's Bazar Deputy Commissioner Kamal Hossain said they were not yet sure if it was a locust. So they have not started any kind of monitoring yet.

Seeing the characteristics of the insect found in Teknaf, it does not seem to be a terrible locust to hit Africa, said the Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture. Nasiruzzaman.

He said he would send an expert team to Teknaf in a day or two to find out the details of the insect.

It is not possible to say whether it is actually a destructive locust without scientific examination, said Mr. Amen.

At present, they are not able to bring the insect samples to the lab in Gazipur for testing as there is a nationwide lockdown.

He advised the local agriculture officer to store the insect in deep freezer if it is not dried with naphthalene or dipped in 80% ethanol before the lockdown.

Image copyright: Insect-like insects

If it has become the destructive locust of Africa. Then there is no way to stop the harassment, said Mr. Nasiruzzaman.

Because no effective method of controlling locusts has been discovered in the world so far.

Earlier, AZM Sabbir Ibn Jahan, director of the Department of Agricul.