Moulting locust from swarm in Palestine in 1915. When conditions are right, locusts can form mass swarms of several billion individuals. Any vegetation, including agricultural food supplies, in the swarm's path is often completely destroyed within minutes. This photograph is from a collection attributed to Lewis Larsson, from the Photo Department of the American Colony in Jerusalem. The collection includes studies of stages of transformation in life cycle of locust, before and after images of landscapes and flora impacted by the swarm, and abatement methods used.