Outbreak develops in western Mauritania
Survey and ground control operations are currently in progress in western Mauritania where an outbreak developed in early November as a result of unusually good rains in September and October. One generation of breeding has occurred and hoppers formed small groups and bands. Many of these hoppers have fledged and the new adults formed small groups that are currently becoming mature. Consequently, a second generation of breeding is expected to commence from about mid-December onwards. The outbreak is confined to an area east of Nouakchott but it could extend further north into northwest and northern Mauritania and adjacent areas of Western Sahara and western Algeria that received very heavy rains in September and October. So far, teams have treated nearly 3,000 ha in Mauritania.
Elsewhere, small-scale breeding is in progress in the Air Mountains of northern Niger, scattered adults were seen in northern Mali, and low numbers of adults appeared in winter areas along the Red Sea coast in Sudan, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Small-scale breeding will cause locust numbers to increase in these areas as well as on the coast of Eritrea. In southern Yemen, there is a risk of locust breeding for the next 4-6 months in areas where heavy rains fell from two tropical cyclones last month. Small-scale breeding is also expected in northern Somalia where good rains also fell from cyclone Megh. More rain may fall due to El Nino.