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This is the spectacular moment a mother locust laid 100 eggs deep into soil.

At first she tentatively searched around the soil for the perfect place to welcome her offspring into the world.

After giving birth to the eggs, the 50mm-long locust covered the hole with soil using her back legs to make sure they were safe.

This is the spectacular moment a mother locust laid 100 eggs deep into soil. At first, the locust looked for the place to put her reproductive limb. When she was ready to lay eggs, she extended the limb into the soil

Japanese photographer, Haruhiro Rokuta, was there to capture the moment in his studio - where he studied locusts.

The 26-year-old, from Yokohoma City, got up close and personal to the locust while she was 'in labour' and watched for the hour-long duration.

'First of all, I caught some female locusts and watched carefully when they started laying eggs,' said Mr Rokuta.

'I took it along the side of grass surface however some locusts refused to go there and laid eggs in some places where I could not watch.

'The female locust became nervous. 

Photographer, Haruhiro Rokuta, was there to capture the moment in his studio - where he studied locusts

The 26-year-old, from Yokohoma City, got up close and personal to the locust while she was in labour and watched on for the hour-long duration

'I was surprised to see the ovipositor (reproductive limb) extend to double its length,' said Mr Rokuta

'It looked for the place to put the ovipositor (reproductive limb) into when it was ready to lay eggs and extended it into soil.

'I was surprised to see the ovipositor extend to double its length in a second.

'When it finished laying eggs, it covered the hole with soil using its back legs.'

A female locust can lay anything between 50 and 100 eggs, and be ready to lay more eggs again within in a week. These eggs hatch within 14 to 20 days.  

During quiet periods, called recessions, locusts are confined to a belt that extends through the Sahara Desert in northern Africa, across the Arabian Peninsula, and into northwest India.

But when conditions are right, huge swarms of locust invade countries on all sides of the area, as far north as Spain and Russia and as far east as India and southwest Asia. 

A female locust can lay anything between 50 and 100 eggs, and be ready to lay more eggs within in a week

After giving birth to the eggs, the mother covered the hole using her back legs to make sure they were safe