Does anybody know/reported about a seasonal phase of lower matting and lower oviposition in Schistocerca gregaria rearing in artificial environment (31oC and 18:6 day:night regime. food: wheat)?
Our healthy S. gregaria colony has often suffered from low fecundity in late winter and spring under a regular 12:12h light:dark and temperature (36:25°C) cycle. The generation time also differs seasonally. The locusts are fed on dry wheat bran and live wheat seedlings raised in outdoor greenhouses. We have attributed the seasonality in the locusts to the quality of the wheat plants, but this is just speculation.