Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-grxwn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-15T14:55:10.127Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A History Of Grasshopper Abundance Surveys And Forecasts Of Outbreaks In Saskatchewan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2012

Paul W. Riegert
Paul W. Riegert*
Affiliation:
Research Station, Canada Department of Agriculture, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Get access

Abstract

Saskatchewan had periodic outbreaks of grasshoppers long before the arrival of settlers. With the advent of agriculture these insects threatened the production of cereal and forage crops and necessitated the implementation of extensive control procedures. The effectiveness of control could be enhanced if farmers and government agencies were alerted and informed of the probable intensity and area of outbreak in the coming year. This lead to the initiation of forecasting the expected outbreaks, first, by questioning local persons as to the density, egg laying activities, and damage caused by local grasshopper populations and, secondly, by the inauguration of a special survey system of assessing abundance. Current populations of grasshopper adults or eggs were counted in all arable land areas of the province and rated in four categories of potential outbreak or hazard. The mapping of such ratings in their respective locations resulted in the production of a forecast map which indicated areas of probable light, moderate, severe, or very severe outbreak the following year. In Saskatchewan such maps have been produced annually since 1931 and are reproduced here. They represent the changing scene of grasshopper abundance in the past 36 years and have been accepted by agriculturists as a standard reference to be considered for sound agricultural production in the province.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada , Volume 100 , Supplement S52 , 1968 , pp. 5 - 99
Copyright
Copyright © Entomological Society of Canada 1968

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

1

contribution No. 257, Research station, Saskatoon.

References

Anon, . 1930. Report of the International Great Plains Crop Pest Committee, Blairmore, Alta.Google Scholar
Anon, . 1934. Grasshopper egg survey in Saskatchewan, autumn 1934. Dom. ent. Lab. Leafl., Saskatoon.Google Scholar
Bird, R. D. 1961. Ecology of the aspen parkland of western Canada. Can. Dep. Agric. Publ. 1066.Google Scholar
Brett, C. H. 1947. Interrelated effects of food, temperature and humidity on the development of the lesser migratory grasshopper, Melanoplus mexicanus mexicanus (Saussure) (Orthoptera). Okla Agric, exp. Sta. Tech. Bull. T-26.Google Scholar
Buckell, E. R. 1936. Maps, diagrams and tables illustrative of various aspects of the grasshopper problem in Canada. In Rep. Fourth int. Locust Conf., Cairo.Google Scholar
Edwards, R. L. 1962a. The importance of timing in adult grasshopper surveys. J. econ. Ent. 55: 263–264.Google Scholar
Edwards, R. L. 1962b. A critical appraisal of grasshopper forecast maps in Saskatchewan, 1936–1958. J. econ. Ent. 55: 288–292.Google Scholar
Gurney, A. B., and Brooks, A. R.. 1959. Grasshoppers of the mexicanus group, Genus Melanoplus (Orthoptera: Acrididae). Proc. U.S. natn. Mus. 110: 1–93.Google Scholar
Horner, W. H. 1951. Annual Report of the Field Crop Commissioner. 46th Ann. Rep. Dep. Agric. Saskatch. pp. 133–169.Google Scholar
King, K. M. Insect outbreaks. A. Rep. ent. Lab., Saskatoon, Sect. 6, 1927: 1; 1928: 3, 4; 1929: 4–7. (Unpublished.)Google Scholar
King, K. M. 1934. Grasshopper egg survey in Saskatchewan, Autumn 1934. Tech. Rep. ent. Lab., Saskatoon. (Unpublished.)Google Scholar
King, K. M. et al. Insect outbreaks. A. Rep. ent. Lab., Saskatoon, Sect. 6, 1930: 9, 10; 1931: 10–12. (Unpublished.)Google Scholar
King, K. M., Berg, V. L., and Paul, L. C.. 1936. Summary of Saskatchewan grasshopper infestations, autumn 1936, and rating of probable outbreaks 1937. Dom. ent. Lab. (Saskatoon) Leafl. 42.Google Scholar
McKenzie, R. E. 1952. First Annual Report of the Plant Industry Branch. 47th Ann. Rep. Dep. Agric. Saskatch. pp. 251–302.Google Scholar
Mitchener, A. V. 1953. A history of grasshopper outbreaks and their control in Manitoba, 1799–1953. 84th Ann. Rep. ent. Soc. Ont. pp. 27–35.Google Scholar
Morton, A. S. 1937. Under western skies. Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd., Toronto.Google Scholar
Paul, L. C., and Putnam, L. G.. 1960. Morphometrics, parasites, and predators of migrant Melanoplus bilituratus (Wlk.) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in Saskatchewan in 1940. Can. Ent. 92: 487–493.Google Scholar
Pickford, R. 1963. Wheat crops and native prairie in relation to the nutritional ecology of Camnula pellucida (Scudder) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in Saskatchewan. Can. Ent. 95: 764–770.Google Scholar
Pickford, R. 1966. Development, survival and reproduction of Camnula pellucida (Scudder) (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in relation to climatic conditions. Can. Ent. 98: 158–169.Google Scholar
Pickford, R., and Riegert, P. W.. 1964. The fungous disease caused by Entomophthora grylli Fres., and its effects on grasshopper populations in Saskatchewan in 1963. Can. Ent. 96: 1158–1166.Google Scholar
Putnam, L. G. 1960. The aims and methods of grasshopper forecasting. Can. Agric. Res. Sta. Mimeo. Leafl. (Unpublished.)Google Scholar
Riegert, P. W., and Pickford, R.. 1963. Surveys of adult grasshoppers in Saskatchewan in relation to seasonal development. Can. Ent. 95: 936–941.Google Scholar
Riegert, P. W., Pickford, R., and Putnam, L. G.. 1965. Outbreaks of Camnula pellucida (Scudder), (Orthoptera: Acrididae), in relation to native grasslands and cereal crops in Saskatchewan. Can. Ent. 97: 508–514.Google Scholar
Riley, C. V., Packard, A. S., and Thomas, C.. 1878. First Annual Report of the United States Entomological Commission. U.S. Dep. Interior, Washington.Google Scholar
Riley, C. V., Packard, A. S., and Thomas, C.. 1880. Second Report of the United States Entomological Commission. U.S. Dep. Interior, Washington.Google Scholar
Romanow, W. 1955. The grasshopper survey in Manitoba. Proc. ent. Soc. Man. 11: 55–60.Google Scholar
Shotwell, R. L. 1935. Method for making a grasshopper survey, J. econ. Ent. 28: 486–491.Google Scholar
Shotwell, R. L. 1937. The grasshopper survey 1937 with special reference to evaluating infestations and estimating quantities of material needed for control in 1938. U.S. Dep. Agric. Bur. Ent. Pl. Quar. Mimeo. Leafl.Google Scholar
Shotwell, R. L. 1938. Some problems of the annual grasshopper survey. J. econ. Ent. 31: 523–533.Google Scholar
Tullis, M. P. 1919. Report of the Weeds and Seed Commissioner. 14th Ann. Rep. Dep. Agric. Saskatch. pp. 82–100.Google Scholar
Tullis, M. P. Report of the Field Crops Commissioner. Ann. Rep. Dep. Agric. Saskatch., 1921: 69–75; 1922: 217–238; 1923: 141–170; 1924: 176–195; 1925: 141–171; 1927: 140–156.Google Scholar
Vigor, S. H. Report of the Field Crops Commissioner. Ann. Rep. Dep. Agric. Saskatch., 1929: 12–29; 1930: 235–257; 1931: 11–37; 1933: 73–83; 1935: 127–134.Google Scholar
Vigor, S. H. 1941. History of organized grasshopper campaigns in Saskatchewan from 1919 to 1940. (Unpublished typescript.)Google Scholar