A new research pointed out that serotonin plays an important role in the way locust swarm and damage crops. The study, published in the Friday’s issue of the journal Science and it was conducted by a team of scientists led by professor Malcolm Burrows of the University of Cambridge.

The study found evidence about what makes locust switch from lonely insects to massive groups that attack crops every year in the United States and other regions in the world. What is interesting though, is that serotonin is also one of the most factors that influence human behavior regarding cognitive and affective actions.

According to professor Burrows, the research team was amazed to discover that both humans and locusts are somehow influenced by serotonin. Burrows revealed that a solitary locust has about three times less serotonin than a locust that lives in a swarm. He added that when solitary locusts were injected with the chemical, the insects’ behavior immediately changed, as they grouped together.

On the other hand, the scientific community stated that further researches are necessary in order to discover an efficient way to prevent locusts from swarming.

Locusts that move in swarms feed with crops are long known for doing significant damage to the agriculture worldwide. Recent researches showed that every year, the insects affect approximately 20 percent of the global harvests. Africa, Asia, Australia and western U.S. are among the most severely affected areas due to locust swarms.