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The desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria, is a pest insect with the capability to form large swarms and devastate food production. This year, large swarms have erupted in East Africa and the Middle East, and further threaten Northern India and Pakistan. Now more than ever there is a need to better understand the physiological and molecular processes that control the life cycle and development of S. gregaria. Reproduction is an important element behind the formation of large swarms. Prior research has focused primarily on the reproductive function of female locusts, but the role of male locusts may be bigger than previously thought. Studies in other insects have shown that seminal fluid factors produced in the accessory glands of males are passed to females during mating and cause post mating effects in the females. These post mating effects can greatly impact the reproductive success of these insects. This thesis investigates one such possible factor, short neuropeptide F (sNPF). Previous data have shown the presence of sNPF in the accessory glands of sexually mature males, but not in those of sexually immature males. The intent of this project was to investigate any potential roles that sNPF may play in the development of these accessory glands or on reproductive behavior. To test this hypothesis, we used RNA interference to knock down the expression of the receptor and precursor of sNPF in male locusts. We then observed the locust’s development, mating behavior, and accessory glands. We did not notice any abnormal phenotypes in our experimental animals. We also did not observe any disruptions to mating behavior. The weights of the accessory glands from experimental animals did not differ significantly from the weights of the accessory glands of the control animals. This evidence suggests that sNPF does not impact accessory gland development. However, there is room for future experiments to confirm if sNPF is transferred to the female and to investigate any potential role it has there. To facilitate these future experiments, we successfully collected spermatophore samples from S. gregaria.