Don’t Forget the Insects!
Written by Jim Rettig
Birders spend a lot of time (and money) looking at, learning about, and photographing birds. It’s a terrific hobby: it gets you outside, keeps you active, opens up the beauty and complexity of the natural world, helps you make new and lasting friends, puts you in touch with conservation organizations locally and around the world, and can get you active in local conservation efforts. And it also opens up other areas of interest, such as insects: dragonflies and butterflies to name two.
Insects and other invertebrates play key ecological roles in the complex and intricate natural world, and are critical to the survival of countless other species. According to Merrill Peterson, “The diversity of life . . . reaches a pinnacle in the insect world. . . . Indeed, according to current estimates, insects account for about two-thirds of the species of multicellular organisms [and] the variety of insects is enough to boggle the mind. Here in the Pacific Northwest, there are more than 30,000 species of insects, and if you were to thoroughly sample the fauna of your backyard, you would almost certainly find more species of insects than the entire diversity of birds in the U.S. and Canada.” ¹
Western Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly by Jim Rettig
Herbivorous insects drive plant diversity by making plants evolve new defenses so they aren’t always eaten. Herbivores limit the ability of a single plant species to dominate the landscape (except when we use pesticides and herbicides that enable invasive species to push out natives). As pollinators, insects enable flowering plants to thrive. They feed on dead matter which facilitates microbial breakdown thus recycling nutrients and make them available to other plants. And, of course, insects become food for birds, fish, amphibians, and mammals such as Grizzly Bears in Montana which eat migrating moths. Insects provide humans with honey, silk, wax, dyes, and, in some cultures, food. They are also essential subjects in medical and basic biological research.
Unfortunately, just as bird populations are decreasing, so too are populations of insect species.
You know the reasons: among them are the increasing use of herbicides and pesticides, monocultural farming, habitat loss, and invasive species that offer no food to local insects.
So in urging all of us not to forget the insects, I offer eight things we can do to create insect-friendly habitats. The eight listed here summarize an article written by Akito Y. Kawahara and others, which appeared in a National Academy of Sciences publication.²
Convert lawns into diverse natural habitats. In the United States alone there are over 40 million acres of lawns, all biodiversity deserts. Even if we converted only 10% or our lawns, that could significantly aid insect conservation. And if every school and local park did the same, usable habitat for insects would increase by millions of acres.
Grow native plants. Members of Audubon know this already. Native insects and birds need native plants, plants they they have evolved with over millions of years.
Reduce pesticide and herbicide use. Or stop using these products altogether. They not only kill insects and plants, many are harmful to humans in various ways.
Limit the use of exterior lighting. Light pollution attracts nocturnal insects. Artificial lights are powerful sensory traps that can kill insects through exhaustion or predation.
Lessen soap runoff from washing vehicles and building exteriors, and reduce use of driveway sealants and de-icing salts. Soaps, sealants and salts produce significant quantities of pollutants that can drain into local water systems killing aquatic insects. Use biodegradable soaps, soy-based sealants, and shovels or snowblowers to get rid of the snow and ice.
Increase the awareness and appreciation of insects by countering negative perceptions of insects. Get to know the benefits that insects bring to humankind. Such benefits can easily be remembered as the “5Ps”: 1) Pollinators, 2) Prey, 3) Physical decomposers, 4) Progress — helping science and technology, 5) Pleasure — they bring beauty, delight, and fascination to those who look.
Become an educator, ambassador, and advocate for insect conservation. Point them out to your children and grandchildren. Join The Xerces Society³ which is dedicated to conserving, enhancing, and protecting insects and other invertebrates. It publishes a new activity book called X Kids that uses story-telling and science-based activities to help children discover the environment around them.
Get involved in local politics, support science, and vote! Political action at the local level can significantly advance insect conservation.
Golden Crab Spider with Fly by Jim Rettig
A few years ago, my two sons and I hiked into Yellow Aster Butte in the North Cascades. When I walked out a few days later I took lots of time getting to the car because I was photographing such a wide variety of blooming flowers. Very impressive. And when I think of how insects drove plants to evolve to defend themselves from these predators, resulting in such a great variety if blossoming beauties, I give thanks to the Creator for both the flora and fauna.
Don’t forget the insects.
¹Merrill A. Peterson, Pacific Northwest INSECTS, Seattle Audubon, 2018
² If you’d like to get a copy of this article, contact me at jrettigtanager@gmail.com.
³Contact The Xerces Society at xerces.org or call toll-free 855-232-6639.