Locusts include about a dozen species of short-horned grasshoppers which are notable for the physical and behavioral changes they undergo when their populations reach a critical size. They are not directly harmful to humans; they do not bite or sting, and they do not carry diseases which can infect humans. The problem with locusts is that huge swarms can cover hundreds of square miles, obliterating crops. A single locust can eat its own weight daily, and a large swarm may consist of over a billion locusts capable of eating thousands of tons of food each day.
Source(s):
http://www.fao.org/ag/locusts/en/info/info/faq/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Locust


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