Historically, locust plagues, together with drought and floods, have been called the three major natural disasters, affecting agriculture and causing serious economic losses around the world.

Since the 1950s, the Institute of Zoology has carried out a series of scientific studies combining locust control with the transformation of locust-affected regions to achieve excellent results. The specific implementation plan for the integrated control and eradication of locusts has fundamentally resolved the problem of the migratory locust outbreaks in China.

In recent years, researchers from the institute have revealed the molecular mechanism of locust phase change, providing new insights into the biological basis of locust swarms. In addition, they have discovered and confirmed that 4VA is a locust aggregation pheromone. They have revealed the secret of locust swarm formation using VR holographic imaging and have proposed new concepts and methods for locust control, thus making green and sustainable prevention and control of locusts possible.