The desert locust Schistocerca gregaria (Forskal)(Orthoptera: Acrididae) is a destructive pest to many crops in several African and Asian countries due to its voracious feeding and invasions in swarms. Most recent large-scale outbreaks of it occurred in 1986-1989 and in 2003-2005, mostly on the African continent (Latchininsky, 2013). In 2003-2005, to curtail the outbreak of this locust, 13 million ha were treated with broad-spectrum insecticides in 26 countries on three continents. Such transcontinental operations, together with food aid for affected populations, cost over half a billion USD to the world community, not to mention human and environmental health costs (Belaynech, 2005).

Current locust control operations are mainly based on organophosphorus pesticides as a result of the banning of organochlorines (Lecoq, 2001). The widespread use of such synthetic pesticides has considerable drawbacks, such as the development of insect resistance to insecticides, increased costs, handling hazards, concerns about insecticide residues, and great threats to both human and environmental health (Garriga and Caballero, 2011). Therefore, many institutions have intensified their efforts in the search for integrated locust control measures. Much attention has been devoted to use plant extracts or plant constituents that have insecticidal effects (Schmutterer, 1990 a, b; Krall