also: とびばった
noun
locust swarm; swarming locusts
Refers to a large group of locusts in flight or the phenomenon of locust swarming. The reading ひこう is more formal or technical; とびばった is the common colloquial reading.
アフリカでは飛蝗が農作物に大きな被害を与えた。
In Africa, locust swarms caused great damage to crops.
とびばったが空を覆うように飛んでいた。
The swarming locusts were flying as if covering the sky.
蝗 (いなご) refers to locusts in general or as individual insects, while 飛蝗 specifically emphasizes the swarming behavior or a swarm.
Compound of 飛 (hi, 'flying') + 蝗 (kō, 'locust'). The reading とびばった is a native Japanese compound of 飛び (tobi, 'flying') + ばった (batta, 'grasshopper/locust').