Giant Grasshoppers

Britain May Face Invasion Of Giant Grasshoppers
Yahoo News, 8-23-99

Swarms of giant grasshoppers could invade Britain from continental Europe and devour crops and gardens across the country, a scientist said on Sunday. The "superhoppers", up to 12 cm (nearly five inches) long and eight times as hungry as most British grasshoppers, are usually found in Spain and France but could spread thanks to global warming, entomologist Peter McEwen said in a statement. "The recent hot weather in the UK will only serve to encourage the invasion," said McEwen, research director of Insect Investigations, owned by Cardiff University's School of Biosciences. The spread of the insecticide-resistant bug could be aided by increased cross-border travel between Britain and the continent by car, rail and air, he said. The grasshoppers have not caused widespread damage elsewhere in Europe, but McEwen told Reuters that the impact of insects outside their natural habitat was unpredictable.