[.ca] Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious ... (ISBN 0465041671)

Solving an Ecological Whodunit:
It is, according to entomologist Jeffrey A. Lockwood, "perhaps the greatest ecological mystery of modern times." Lockwood has studied the mystery for years, undergone grueling mountain expeditions to get evidence, compiled a solution to it, and had his solution accepted by his peers; it might be, therefore, that he has a slightly exalted sense of just how great the mystery is. But in _Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect that Shaped the American Frontier_ (Basic Books), he has set the matter clearly for non-specialists, and has shown how he made his convincing answer to "What killed off the locusts?" You may never have wondered about this particular ecological question, but Lockwood's detailed, multi-faceted, and fascinating book provides a refreshing look at entomological and agricultural history, at how field and research science is done, and how evolution works in mysterious ways. The impression the locusts made on pioneers in the nineteenth century cannot be overstated. They darkened the sky and ate any crops down to stubble, fed on clothes, and gnawed even the handles of farm implements. There was nothing that could be done. Of course there were religious appeals to remove the plague, and inchoate government plans to help the starving farmers. Eventually the federal government did set up programs to investigate the swarms scientifically, and huge amounts of data were collected, but it did not do a great deal of good in the short term. The farmers wanted to get rid of the locusts then and there. There were many methods of locust control, including a horse-drawn flamethrower. Finally, but through none of these efforts, the locusts vanished forever. Entomologists have thought about this for more than a century, and some interesting hypotheses have been forwarded, each reviewed here, each eventually unsatisfactory. Lockwood's solution was from evidence gathered, among other places, high in Wyoming ridges, in the glaciers. There are very few locusts pinned in collections, but after much grueling effort he and his team found them encased in glacial ice. Before finding full bodies, they were able to do some identification by looking at the remains of mouth parts, which are distinct in grasshopper and locust species. For exact identification, though, bodies with intact penises had to be found. The penises of grasshoppers and locusts display many grooves, hooks, and curlicues that ensure that the key of the male fits only into the lock borne by a female of the same species, so a penis is the best way to know exactly what species one is dealing with. Lockwood's solution, which is too interesting to be revealed in detail here, involves some fascinating aspects of the locusts, which were in one form in their home nesting ground but developed a different body type for the migratory (swarming) phase when the home got crowded. Lockwood also drew upon the lessons we are learning from the Monarch butterfly, which also has a now-endangered home in Mexico from which it sends out migrating waves. Lockwood's whodunit is beautifully organized and clearly written to tell an esoteric story which he has in many ways fitted into larger ecological, historical, and social frameworks, and in doing so he convinces a reader of a larger importance than just the loss of one species.

A Plague of Locusts:
Dr Lockwood has written a very readable and carefully detailed biography of the encounter of the pioneers with the Rocky Mountain Locust and the modern day entomologists' investigations of its dissappearance. He lays out a good case for the most recent hypothesis for the 'Extinction' of the migratory form of M. spretus. He also lays the groundwork for us to accept that M. spretus is still with us. His paragraphs about describing something as a PROCESS rather than an object is an epiphany that many people will never have. Also valuable and which rings true is his dicussion about how science gets done and how its as much tied to ego as it is to data. He also alludes to the stagnation now currently found in many sciences. One thing he misses is comparing the locust to other "plagues" seen in North America that are gone - the huge bison herds, the huge passenger pigeon flocks, the huge prairie fires, huge salmon runs, etc - the North American continent used to run at a much higher energy state than it now does. Dr Lockwoods book falls in with other Natural History investigations that introduced a new paradigm - of which the best example is the Imbries' "Ice Ages: Solving the Mystery" that popularizes a new theory while describing the challenges that led to its acceptance.

The mystery of the missing Melanoplus:
Once the scourge of the North American West, the Rocky Mountain Locust had disappeared before World War I. When settlers had built homes and planted crops, the locust would appear in clouds that would blot the sun. In their billions they swept through fields, stripping them bare. Well fed, they would breed, spreading eggs across the land in preparation for another swarm. In this highly personalised and informal history, Jeffrey Lockwood recounts the effect of the swarms and the struggle to understand and learn to cope with them. Yet this "biblical scourge" tapered off mysteriously, ending after driving many from the frontier. Lockwood led the studies investigating the why the Rocky Mountain Locust \oMelanoplus spretus\c is no longer seen. He arrives at surprising conclusions regarding both the extinction and the lessons we may gain from it. The impact of this insect pest on farming was highly significant wherever it occurred. With pleas for controls, as well as relief, governments floundered before the onslaught. Lockwood treats the appeals for divine intervention lightly, but his account of scientific efforts to cope with the plague are serious. There are some heroes in his story, most notably, Charles Valentine Riley. Riley, although lacking academic credentials, made the locust his crusade. With two associates, Riley led a campaign to deal with locust outbreaks. With Charles Darwin's theory as one of their tools, the trio made progress in understanding the life cycle of the locust. From far away, another researcher was coping with similar infestations. Boris Uvarov introduced an entirely new concept in entomology, the "phase" cycle - insects could exhibit different appearances and habits under varying conditions. Lockwood's own quest came long after the Rocky Mountain Locust had withdrawn from human ken. Indeed, it was that disappearance the piqued his interest. An insect that had numbered in the trillions now reduced to zero was a mystery he felt compelled to solve. He deduced that so many flying insects would leave traces in the glaciers scattered about the Rocky Mountains and centred his quest there. To say there were adventures is grave understatement. There's even a murder involved. More significantly, specimens retrieved from the ice offered few clues to the disappearance, although significant information was gathered. Since Lockwood chooses to depict the extinction as a mystery, it would be inappropriate to reveal the conclusion here. Suffice to say that Lockwood's analysis makes for compelling reading, both in the circumstances of the locust's extinction and the lesson derived from it. The assessment is far-reaching in both time and place and is well worth your time to learn. What has been learned has implications for the future. \ostephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada\c