Abstract
The migratory locust, Locusta migratoria (Linnaeus, 1758), is a major pest in many tropical regions and some temperate areas and regarded as the most important agricultural pest in some countries. It belongs to a monotypic genus and has been described under many different names, up to 20, corresponding to species or subspecies levels. Some subspecies were never even named and were simply referred to by their geographic origin. A certain confusion continues to reign. Recent molecular biology analyses—based on samples from the whole range of the migratory locust—challenged the long-held view of multiple subspecies in Locusta migratoria and clearly divided it into only two main subspecies: Locusta migratoria migratoria (in temperate zones) and Locusta migratoria migratorioides (pantropical).