Comparison of Australian plague locust and Oedaleus australis adults

​Comparison of Australian plague locust and Oedaleus australis adults

Australian Plague Locust - Chortoicetes terminifera

Oedaleus australis

Major differences between adults of these species: Adults of the Australian plague locust are similar in size and shape to Oedaleus but differences in markings on the head, legs and wings are obvious:

• hind wings of Oedaleus are lightly coloured with a dark tip AND a dark smudge/band along the centre while the plague locust hindwings are not coloured and are do not have a band in the centre
• hind leg tibia of Oedaleus are not red like the plague locust
• Oedaleus has a distinctive triangular mark below the eyes when viewed from the side

Oedaleus adults may occur in high numbers in some years but they rarely form dense swarms unlike the Australian plague locust.