Migratory Locust

Migratory locusts hold the broadest range of any locust species, demonstrating that the phase-transition strategy works across vastly different environments. From African savannas through European grasslands to Australian outback, migratory locusts follow the same pattern: solitary individuals scattered across favorable habitat, crowding at breeding sites when conditions align, phase transition when density exceeds thresholds, swarm formation and dispersal. The strategy is robust across ecosystems because it responds to universal triggers—resource concentration and population density.

The species' range also reveals how human agriculture creates locust opportunity. Irrigation projects, cleared forests, and monoculture plantings create exactly the habitat migratory locusts exploit: large areas of nutritious vegetation where populations can concentrate. Agricultural development often precedes locust outbreaks; the insects are following opportunity that humans created. The 2019-2020 East African outbreak traced to unusual cyclone patterns that created breeding habitat, amplified by agricultural expansion that provided food for multiplying populations.

Migratory locusts show particular sensitivity to touch-based crowding signals. Physical contact with other locusts—leg touches, body bumps—provides the crowding cue that triggers phase transition. Isolated individuals never transform regardless of visual or chemical signals; physical contact is required. The business parallel illuminates the importance of contact-based information. Migratory locust transformation requires physical presence, not remote sensing. Organizations often assume information flow replaces physical proximity, but some transitions—culture change, skill transfer, relationship building—may require contact-based signals that remote communication cannot provide. The phase transition happens when individuals are actually crowded, not just informationally aware of others.