Giant Locust

Code name	Hexapod Allies
Hybrid of	Prehistoric locusts + Desert locust
Diet	Omnivore
Location	Biosyn Valley
Range	Worldwide
Birth type	Egg
Movie appearances	The Prologue - Jurassic World: Dominion (prehistoric locusts) Jurassic World: Dominion Jurassic World: Chaos Theory (mentioned)
Book appearances	Jurassic World Dominion: The Junior Novelization

""That can't be right.""

—Kayla, reacting to the flaming locusts.^(src)

"Bugs. Why does there have to be bugs?"

—Ellie Sattler^(src)

During the events of Jurassic World: Dominion and Jurassic World: Prologue, a hybrid species of giant locust, created with the DNA of a prehistoric locust and desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria), and maybe other animals, were seen. Biosyn and Dr. Henry Wu created hybrid locust, making them stronger and more resistant. The locusts were originally designed to spread genetic modifications to non-Biosyn crops that would allow them to become immune to drought, frosts, and diseases as part of a project named Hexapod Allies. However, since they are engineered to not feed on Biosyn seeds, they start to eat every other plant in sight and spiral even further out of control than anticipated, threatening a global ecological collapse.

History

Jurassic World: Chaos Theory

"Rest Stop"

In Ben's van, one of the theories on a sticky note is titled "Carnivorous locusts."

Jurassic World: Dominion

Cretaceous period

In prehistoric times during the Cretaceous in the short film titled "Prologue", a species of giant locust can be seen sitting on the leg of a Dreadnoughtus. This species of prehistoric locust is larger than any prehistoric locust found in the fossil record (in addition to being a fictional species). 65 million years later, its DNA would be used by Biosyn to create hybrid locusts.

Film

This hybrid species of Locust is a genetically modified organism produced by Biosyn Genetics for a secret program called "Hexapod Allies". It was used for illegal biological warfare against rival Biosyn companies and independent farmers. The hybrid locust is a genetically modified variety of the desert locust (Schistocerca gregaria) enhanced with DNA from the extinct species of large Maastrichtian-era locust (which we see in the short film "Prologue"); modifications include increased size and strength, longevity, and the inability to eat the crops specifically bioengineered by Biosyn. They have been a plague on various plantations in the US and overseas. When Owen Grady and Claire Dearing infiltrate a Maltese black market, multiple caged and cooked specimens of giant locust are seen.

After they swarmed a farm in West Texas that was later investigated by Dr. Sattler, she joins forces with Dr. Grant to get a sample of a giant locust out of the Biosyn Research Facility in order to prove that they have been responsible for the locust epidemic, without disturbing the others in the process. They succeed, but the escape of Maisie Lockwood and Beta the Velociraptor triggered the alarm that caused the locusts to swarm out of control. Later, Lewis Dodgson ordered the giant locusts' containment facility to be incinerated to cover up his and Biosyn's tracks after seeing a news report that the locusts were now in other countries. However, the giant locusts break out while engulfed in flames. Apparently, they can survive being set on fire without dying for a very long time. However, the majority of the locusts eventually collapse and burn to death. All the flaming locusts, dead and alive, engulf the Biosyn Sanctuary in flames, causing a raging fire. Dr. Sattler and Claire Dearing try to shut down the main Biosyn power supply, but encounter multiple vegetative locust, which resume animation when the power system reboots.

Later, when the valley's resident Giganotosaurus terrorizes the reunited group at a research outpost, Ian Malcolm used a burning locust to distract the larger theropod before throwing the flaming insect into its mouth, stunning it. As shown by the Giganotosaurus nonchalantly eating a flaming locust, it appears to like cooked meals and insects.

A modified locust to be released by Wu.

Back in the U.S., a newly-redeemed Henry Wu is seen releasing a modified locust carrying the pathogen agent he found while using the same method as the late Charlotte Lockwood. The modified insect is then followed by a swarm of wild giant locusts. It can be assumed the locust outbreak has been eradicated and reduced, at least in the U.S., simultaneously Alan and Ellie took their captive locust and the DNA sample; proving that it was from Biosyn before the U.S. Senate, exposing Dodgson's plot.

Behind the scenes

The giant locust is not a real insect. While members of the grasshopper, cricket, and locust order (Orthoptera) existed in the Mesozoic, true grasshoppers and locusts only evolved in the Eocene, when grasslands first began to appear. The ones in Jurassic World: Dominion are also much larger than any real grasshopper, either extant or in the fossil record, to the point of rivaling giant Carboniferous insects such as Meganeura in size.

Gallery

Henry Wu with a dissected locust.

A locust sitting on a Dreadnoughtus leg

Giant locusts swarming a farm.

Alicia and Ramon Peréz with a caged locust

Grant analyzing a locust

Locust being cooked at the black market

Trivia

• According to Jurassic World Dominion: The Junior Novelization based on an early script, the locust changed color when it fluttered its wings (suggesting that they may have had Cuttlefish DNA to accelerate their growth like Indominus rex).
• In an extended scene of Dominion, Dr. Sattler meets the Peréz children, Ramon and Alicia, at their home. They captured a live locust, who was being kept in a rabbit cage, and she took a saliva sample from its mouth and put in a device. When she saw the results, she took it to Dr. Grant to get a second opinion.
• Originally, the locust sample that Ellie got from the Biosyn lab would have fallen into the Giganotosaurus's mouth during the attack at the outpost. Although this scene was apparently seen in the second trailer, with Ellie screaming "no, no", possibly because the sample has fallen into the dinosaur's mouth, it's neither included in the theatrical release nor the extended version.
• While writing Dominion, director Colin Trevorrow consulted scientists for story ideas, seeking to depict a global ecological crisis caused by genetic tampering which would be first noticed by a paleobotanist. He learned about Insect Allies (a DARPA program in which insects spread pesticides to crops), which inspired the film's locust plot.