Schistocerca nitens

<br>Biologically-based, environmentally friendly suppressive tools are lacking. Neither of the two USA-registered agents, Nosema locustae and Beauveria bassiana, are very effective or cost-effective on rangeland. The efficacy of these existence agents must be enhanced, or new agents made available, for biologically-based suppression to feasible (Jaronski, 2012).<br>The fungus Metarhizium anisopliae var. acridum has been developed in Africa and Australia for the control of locusts and is also under development in Brazil, Mexico and China. This fungus, which is specific to grasshoppers and locusts, could provide an effective and economic tool to control locust outbreaks in the USA. It is far more infectious in Orthoptera than the currently registered Beauveria. The NPARL (Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory) is working to bring the existing isolates into the USA for large-scale field trials in cooperation with USDA APHIS and the University of South Utah (Diaz-Soltero, 2009;Foster et. al, 2009).<br>Biological control of insect pests by insect parasitoids and predators has also been proposed by Greathead and Greathead (1992).