My locust swarm

May 1999. I'm coming back on an old article to give more details. I arrived in Madagascar sent by FAO (Food and agriculture Organization of the United Nations) to try to improve the operations to control a Migratory locust invasion. During one of my first field missions, I arrived at Ihosy, a small city, seat of one of the bases for aerial control operations. Two helicopters chartered by the European Union were there, both for locust survey and for pesticide applications over locust swarms and locust hopper bands. I embarked in one helicopter. Leaving Ihosy, I made a reconnaissance towards the Isalo massif and Ranohira, making a large loop on the Horombe plateau, north and south of the N7 road linking Antananarivo to Tulear. Very quickly, we saw swarms. A swarm, then two, then three, then many others. Stratiform swarms, flying only a few meters from the ground. Vast swarms of several hundred of hectares, extending over several kilometers, some of 2 x 5 km or more. Dense swarms, often masking completely vegetation and the horizon.

Wonderful sight of this mass of millions of insects flying slowly, majestically, very close to the ground, seeming flowing as water over the relief. I asked the pilot to come as close as possible without disturbing the locusts, to go around, going up, going down. I kept taking picture on picture. I exhausted all my reserve of films. The show that I had waited for since my early career was there, before my eyes. Thirty years of waiting. I knew these moments were rare. I knew only one truly spectacular photo of a swarm of desert locusts, taken by Hans Bredo, 40 or 50 years ago, in the Maghreb. But now, the show was fabulous. I was there, just in front of the swarm. The sun of this late afternoon was reflected on the locust's elytras and made the swarm shining a thousand lights. Then, as the night was coming, we had to go back to Ihosy... but I had my photo. If I should keep only one of the tens of thousands of photos made throughout my career, it would be this one. The one where two Malagasy farmers, lost with their cart in the middle of the grassy expanses of the Horombe plateau, look, scared, at the locusts (called "Valala" in Malagasy).

Above : front of a swarm of Migratory locust (Locusta migratoria Linné) 2x5 km size. Horombe plateau, Madagascar, 1999. The density of insects is such that the landscape is completely hidden.

Below : Various shots of swarms of Migratory locust. Horombe plateau, Madagascar, 1999. On some photos, Isalo's mountains can be glimpsed in the distance at the top of the image.

I have the weakness to consider these few photos, taken in 1999, such as photos of anthology. The first one, with the two Malagasy, was given to various journalists, press agencies and scientific institutions around the world. One may rightly reproach me a lack of modesty, but reading the press since that time did not allow me to discover better and more spectacular photos ... despite various invasions of locusts and a media coverage ever more important.

Malagasy proverb : "Aza mifanipaka toy ny valala an-karona" : Don't bicker like locusts in a basket.