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The time-course of behavioural phase change was investigated in nymphs of Schistocerca gregaria, using logistic regression analysis of behaviour recorded in a standard assay. Gregarization occurred very rapidly. Solitary-reared nymphs became markedly gregarious in behaviour within 1-4h of being placed in a crowd. These insects re-solitarized equally quickly if removed from the crowd. Crowd-reared locusts also solitarized within 1-4h, but this effect was not complete. Results indicate that, while behavioural gregarization is maximal within a few hours of crowding, solitarization is a two-stage process, changing rapidly at first, then more slowly as a function of the period of previous crowding.