Following the images in the virtual media about the large locusts seen in the Marmara Region in recent days, similar locusts were seen in the Zilan Plateaus in Van's Erciş district. Citizens who saw the grasshoppers, which can reach up to 15 centimeters in length, expressed their surprise and anxiety. Murat Poyrazoğlu, who is a beekeeper in the region, said that he has been coming to the region for many years but has never encountered grasshoppers of this size before.
Poyrazoğlu said, "I have been coming to this region for many years and I have never seen locusts of this size here. Their length exceeds about 10 centimeters. This of course makes us worried. We have seen them on television recently. We have been encountering giant locusts in this region for the last few days. We do not know whether these locusts harm agriculture or people. We ask the authorities to take action on this issue."
'WE CAN DESCRIBE IT AS A FRIEND OF FARMERS'
Hakkari University Biodiversity Application and Research Center faculty member Prof. made an evaluation about the locusts in question. Dr. Mehmet Sait Taylan said that grasshoppers belong to the Orthoptera order and are a hunter species. Stating that he works in the fields of insects, biodiversity, molecular genetics and biotoxicity, Taylan said, "We received a notification that a grasshopper species was found in the Zilan Plateau of Van's Erciş district. Later, photos and videos of this creature were shared. The creature seen is a predator, that is, a hunter and carnivore. It is a grasshopper belonging to the order Orthoptera. These species are very useful creatures, especially in ecosystems. Because they deal with harmful insects, especially agricultural products." "They feed on harmful insects. Therefore, we can actually describe them as friends of farmers," he said.
'PLEASE DO NOT HARM'
Prof. asked citizens not to harm the locusts when they see them. Dr. Taylan said, "When you see this creature, especially these species belonging to the Saga genus, please do not harm it. On the contrary, preserve these creatures. Because it is an important predator species that balances and controls the predator-prey relationship in its habitat and ecosystem. There are many species of the 'Saga' genus in Türkiye. Some experts even state that the gene center of this genus is Anatolia. The first species was described in 1938. There are a total of 13 species in the Western Palearctic region. The last one found in our country." "One of the species is the Saga Hakkarica species, which was found and identified in the Hakkari province. This species was discovered as a result of a study we conducted," he said.
'IT FEEDS ON HARMFUL INSECTS IN AGRICULTURAL FIELDS'
Prof. stated that concerns that locusts harm people or plants are unfounded. Dr. Taylan said, "I especially recommend our farmer friends to stay away from thoughts such as 'It harms people or harms plants' about this creature. This creature is completely a hunter, that is, a predator. It has an important and beneficial role for the ecosystem as it feeds on harmful insects in agricultural areas."
Prof. also emphasized that classifying living things as 'useful' or 'harmful' is not a biologically correct approach. Dr. Taylan said, "Although statements and classifications such as 'This creature is useful, this creature is harmful; this is good, this is bad' are not a correct approach from a biological perspective, when we evaluate living creatures in a human-centered manner, we can say that this species is useful because it feeds on harmful insects in agricultural areas."
'THEY CAN APPROACH 20 CENTIMETERS IN LENGTH'
