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Desert Locust (Schistocerca gregaria)
Agricultural
89Six Legs
Bug Bite · From the file on Desert Locust

A medium-sized swarm eats as much food per day as 35,000 people.

AgencyFAO of the United NationsVerified by sources
Read the full file on Desert Locust

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Buff-Tailed Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris)
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Tomatoes, blueberries, peppers, and kiwifruit ALL require buzz pollination — bumblebees are commercially essential for these crops.

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Red Imported Fire Ant (Solenopsis invicta)
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Fire ants cause over $6 billion in annual damage to the US economy — agricultural, electrical, and medical costs combined.

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Silkworm Moth (Bombyx mori)
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It takes roughly 2,500 silkworm cocoons to produce one pound of finished silk.

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Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula)
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Lanternfly damage to Pennsylvania agriculture exceeds $300 million per year — wineries, orchards, and hardwoods bear the brunt.

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African Mound-Building Termite (Macrotermes bellicosus)
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Macrotermes farm a domesticated fungus called Termitomyces — like leafcutter ants, they cultivate their food.

Asian Weaver Ant (Oecophylla smaragdina)
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Vietnamese and Chinese citrus farmers have hired weaver ant colonies as pest control for at least 1,500 years — the world's oldest documented biocontrol.

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