Lockwood, Jeffrey A. Locust: The Devastating Rise and Mysterious Disappearance of the Insect That Shaped the American Frontier.

LOCKWOOD, Jeffrey A. Locust; the devastating rise and mysterious disappearance of the insect that shaped the American frontier. Basic Books. 294p. illus. notes. index. c2004.0-465-04167-1. $14.95. SA

Locust describes the research into the question of what happened to the three to five trillion locusts (called Albert's Swarm) that chewed their way across the American heartland during the 1870s. What caused this plague of such biblical proportions in the first place? Entomologist Jeffrey Lockwood suggests that drought and a constant southerly wind spread the Rocky Mountain locusts (Melanoplus spretus) over an immense area for days on end during their northward migration. Locusts have plagued humans for millennia: earlier infestations are described. In 1987 Lockwood and a team of fellow scientists sought the remains of the huge swarm in the glaciers of Wyoming, hoping to use molecular genetics to identify the elusive creatures. After years of searching, Lockwood theorized that the Rocky Mountain locust "had been decimated throughout its range within a matter of a few years in an entomological Armageddon," perhaps killed off by the plow and the cow. This fascinating study is written in a clear and sometimes poetic style. Janet Julian, English Teacher, Grafton, MA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescents and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code will help librarians and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.