Is a locust shaped more like a very large grasshopper or does it have more of a large round shape with clear lacy wings?

Answer 1

Locusts closely resemble grasshoppers in appearance, yet are larger, measuring around 2 inches in length. What makes them different from their grasshopper cousins is that locusts can actually go into two behavioral states, depending on population densities and environmental conditions. Normally, locusts remain in what is called a "solitary" phase. But if favorable breeding conditions cause more young to hatch than usual, resulting in overcrowding and scarcity of food, or the locusts migrate to regions where the habitat is unsuitable, the insects will go through what is called a "phase change". This second state is called the "gregarious" phase where the locusts become agitated, begin to gather in very large numbers and finally evolve into a single migrating swarm, or plague.

This is a good photo of a couple of locusts:

http://www.winonamercantile.com/photospiderlocust.jpg

I believe what you may be thinking of ("clear lacy wings") might be a cicada:

http://www.kenoshanews.com/cicadaimagescicada_000.jpg

Many people who do not know what a cicada is will refer to it as a locust since they do come out every so many years (17-year-cicadas and 13-year-cicadas). Both insects feed on vegetation and migrate in swarms.

In short, a locust looks much like a large grasshopper :)