Insect Week 2022
Insect Week 2022 reaches its conclusion this weekend. The annual event, organised by the Royal Entomological Society, encourages people to discover the incredible world of insects. The first book I ever created (aged around 6 years old) was about the natural world, with a heavy focus on insects. My fascination endures, both in insects and the countless other mini beasts we share the planet with.
Spending so much time exploring with our son and his nature loving friends recently, I’ve come across many fine insects. Following last week’s post on damselflies, today’s highlights a small selection of other insects we’ve spotted.
Thick-Legged Flower Beetle
Having previously been restricted to the south of England, the thick-legged flower beetle enjoyed a population expansion during the 1990s. It is now found as far north as Scotland. A beautiful reflective green, the eye-catching insects are seen on flowers such as bramble, dandelions, poppies, and ox-eye daisies. Females and males look very similar, but males have noticeably thicker thighs and tend to be brighter in colour.
Bees
We have seen many bees over the last few weeks. Integral to life on Earth, the first known bee fossils are around 100 million years old. Meaning they have been here since the time of the dinosaurs! By comparison, modern humans have lived on the planet for around 200,000 years.
Bees are pollinators. They pollinate plants which we rely on for food, and also many trees and flowers which offer habitats for wildlife. Around 80% of flowering plants – including vegetables, fruits, and crops – depend on pollination for fertilisation. Estimates are that without bees, it would cost UK food producers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate crops.
Threats to bees include toxic pesticides, which are fatal when ingested. Loss of habitat is a common theme for UK wildlife, including bees. Climate change is causing disruption to seasonal timetables, meaning bees may find their cycle is out of synch with the flowers they need. Invasive species such as the Asian hornet, which eats honey bees, also pose a significant threat.
It’s lovely to study insects through a telephoto lens, but just as useful to have a mobile telephone handy. Particularly to gather pictures for identification, and for recording verbal observations.
Selected Others
Although some insects are considered pests, they all play their part in the ecosystem. Considering the lifecycle of any insect sees them embedded within a chain. Without the links, the chain breaks, which is potentially catastrophic for all life on Earth.
Take the acorn weevil, for instance. The larvae live within acorns, rendering them useless for germination. Recognising this, the oak sheds these host acorns, which leads to an early harvest of larvae infested nuts. Squirrels eat the protein (larvae) rich acorns, which in turn provides extra energy for squirrels to bury the good acorns. In doing so, they support the germination of future generations of oak.
Longhorn beetles provide pollination support, helping the cycle of growth. Their larvae feed on decaying matter, and in doing so, recycle nutrients into the environment.
The cycle involving parasitic wasps is an interesting one. Parasitic wasps help to control aphid and whitefly numbers. While alive, the whitefly and aphids provide honeydew secretions, which are farmed by ants. In turn, ants provide nutrients to soil by storing food. Their stores include seeds, some of which will germinate in the nutrient rich cavities created by the ants. And digging nests and tunnels ensures a healthy turnover and aeration of topsoil. Ants’ tunnels also help rainwater to spread more completely further into the ground. So rather than using chemicals to remove aphids, leave them for nature’s predators, and in doing so, support the ants’ endeavours.
Final Thoughts
We have observed many insects on our journeys. We have watched behaviours, taken photographs, and found out more in the selection of books we carry. It’s a wonderful way for us all to learn together. It is never too early to understand how essential it is to respect and protect the natural environment. And now is the time to make sure that nature’s classroom remains available to future generations.
Take action to protect nature. The current UK government plans mean there will be less nature in England in 20 years’ time. The UK is already one of the most nature depleted countries in the world. Sign the Wildlife Trust petition here (by 27 June) to add your voice to demands that the government does more to protect and encourage nature into our environment.
Further Information
Buglife – Saving the small things that run the planet
The Wildlife Trusts – Making nature part of life
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds – Passionate about nature, dedicated to saving it
Natural History Museum – Identification guides
Royal Entomological Society – Enrich the world with insect science
Friends of the Earth – Campaigning for people and planet since 1971
Natural History Book Service – Wildlife|Ecology|Conservation
This is lovely to read, and amazing photos. I have come to enjoy watching the bugs in our garden as much as I do the birds, particularly knowing how intrinsically they are linked. It all needs protecting xxx
Thank you. I love watching their behaviours. From ants sharing information with each other, to bees moving very methodically from flower to flower. It’s vital that people work together to protect nature X