Locusta migratoria (Linnaeus, 1758)

Skejo, Josip, Rebrina, Fran, Szövényi, Gergely, Puskás, Gellért & Tvrtković, Nikola, 2018, The first annotated checklist of Croatian crickets and grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Ensifera, Caelifera), Zootaxa 4533 (1), pp. 1-95 : 65-66

73. Locusta migratoria (Linnaeus, 1758) = skakavac selac / migratorna šaška

First faunistic record for Croatia: Cubich 1875

Also reported as: Locusta cinerascens Fabricius, 1781 ( Kollar 1846) , Pachytylus danicus (Linnaeus, 1767) ( Karny 1908)

Distribution in Croatia: From the Pannonian region there are historical records only ( Graber 1870, Pungur 1899). Generally not common, present in the Dinaric Alps, in the Mediterranean region more common towards the South (Adriatic islands, Istria, Kvarner, Dalmatia, Dubrovnik area). In the last few years recorded at some localities in higher numbers.

Distribution in Europe: Found in the Mediterranean, but its swarms reached Northern European countries in the past and reproduced there. Recently, the species has been frequently found in northern areas, as it often escapes from captivity (pet food) ( Hochkirch et al. 2016).

Taxonomic note: Two subspecies are currently recognized—nominal subspecies and L. m. migratorioides (Reiche & Fairmaire, 1849) ( Ma & Kang 2013). According to Ma & Kang (2013), it is clear that molecular studies should be performed in Croatia, since it could be a contact zone between the two subspecies.