Migratory Locusts

🔤 Taxonomy

Locusta migratoria is the accepted scientific name used for this feeder guide.

Common names used in the feeder trade:

Migratory locust
Feeder locust

📌 Description

Migratory locusts are active, lean, high-movement feeders for larger insectivorous reptiles, amphibians, birds, and invertebrates. They are excellent enrichment prey, but they need more space, heat, light, and plant food than most small feeder insects.

Feed a clean base diet plus fresh plant foods where appropriate. Gut-load for 24-48 hours before feeding when the feeder will be offered to predators. No feeder species is a complete diet by itself.

🌍 Distribution

The species has a very broad Old World range across Africa, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, with outbreak and resident populations varying by region. Feeder stock should be treated as secure captive livestock.

For keeper practice, biosecurity matters more than a precise range map: commercial feeder and cleanup-culture invertebrates are moved far outside their natural ranges, and escaped animals should never be released or treated as harmless.

⚖️ Regulations and safety

Locusta migratoria is not listed in the CITES Appendices in the official CITES checklist reviewed for this guide. No specific EU wildlife trade Annex listing was found for the species.

The EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation restricts species on the Union list; this guide does not treat Locusta migratoria as a Union-list species. Local and national rules can still restrict live invertebrate imports, transport, breeding, sale, use in schools or workplaces, and disposal.

The Bern Convention is not normally relevant because this is not a European native protected-species care issue. Keep cultures secure, never release live feeders, and freeze surplus or unwanted invertebrates before disposal where local rules allow.

🤌 Husbandry

A practical culture needs correct temperature, airflow, clean food, controlled moisture, and a container that prevents escapes. Keep feeder cultures away from pesticides, aerosols, cleaning fumes, and wild invertebrates. Do not mix fresh shop tubs into a long-term colony without quarantine.

Good setup:

Smooth-sided plastic tub, cup, or ventilated culture box
Fine mesh or fabric ventilation sized for the feeder
Dry food or base medium separated from wet food where possible
Sorting container for feeding and cleaning
Clear date labels for cultures and purchased batches

💡 Lighting

Feeder invertebrates do not need UVB. A normal room day-night rhythm is enough. Keep cultures out of direct sun because small containers overheat quickly.

🌡 Heating and temperature

Recommended ranges:

Holding: 24-30°C
Basking/feeding zone: 32-38°C
Egg laying/incubation: 28-32°C
Avoid cold damp crowded boxes

💧 Humidity and water

Moisture should be controlled rather than stagnant. Remove moldy food quickly, keep dry foods dry, and give moisture from safe foods or a small controlled damp area.

🌿 Enclosure and decoration

Use enough surface area and ventilation to prevent crowding, condensation, and odor. Keep cultures simple so dead animals, spoiled food, and mites can be spotted quickly. Clean small holding tubs between batches and refresh long-term cultures before they collapse.

🪳 Feeding

Useful foods:

Fresh pesticide-free grasses and leafy greens
Wheat bran or dry grass-based feed as backup
Avoid toxic houseplants and pesticide-treated greens

Feed a clean base diet plus fresh plant foods where appropriate. Gut-load for 24-48 hours before feeding when the feeder will be offered to predators. No feeder species is a complete diet by itself.

🥚 Breeding

Breeding requires warm, bright, well-ventilated cages and deep moist laying tubs for eggs. Because locusts are agricultural pests in many regions, breeding and transport may be restricted and escape prevention is critical.

Do not let breeding goals override feeder quality. Cultures that smell sour, contain many dead animals, or show heavy mites should not be used for sensitive animals.

🩺 Common problems

Common problems:

Mold from excess moisture or stale food
Mites from damp waste and old cultures
Escape through poor lids or oversized ventilation mesh
Nutritional imbalance when one feeder is used alone
Predator injury or impaction risk when feeders are oversized
Culture crashes from heat, crowding, pesticides, or contamination

📌 Conclusion

Use this feeder as part of a varied rotation, keep the culture clean, and match feeder size to the animal eating it. Culture hygiene is part of nutrition and safety.