Why you should meet your insect neighbors | Tanya Latty | TEDxSydney

Key Concepts

• Insect Decline: The observed disappearance of common insect species, exemplified by Christmas beetles.
• Ecological Services: The vital roles insects play in urban environments, including pollination, waste management, and pest control.
• Biodiversity: The variety of insect life present even in urban settings.
• Citizen Science: The contribution of public observations and data to scientific research, particularly in entomology.
• Ecological Literacy: The understanding of natural systems and the interactions between organisms.
• Insect Conservation: The importance of protecting insect populations for ecological balance and human well-being.
• Broad-spectrum Insecticides: Pesticides that kill a wide range of insects, including beneficial ones.

The Disappearing Christmas Beetle and the Broader Insect Crisis

The speaker, an entomologist, recounts moving to Australia 17 years prior with the expectation of witnessing the annual arrival of millions of iridescent Christmas beetles, a phenomenon that traditionally heralded the holiday season. However, despite living in Australia for nearly two decades, the speaker has never seen such swarms and is fortunate to see a handful in any given year. This personal experience is presented as a microcosm of a global trend: the quiet disappearance of once-common insect species. This decline is not limited to Christmas beetles but also includes moths and the general abundance of insects around porch lights at night. A significant concern highlighted is the lack of comprehensive scientific data to confirm the extent of these disappearances, making it difficult to quantify the problem.

The Importance of Insects in Urban Ecosystems

The loss of insects is framed not only as the loss of essential ecological functions but also as a diminishment of human connection with nature. The joy of observing insects, like finding the first Christmas beetle or a child's excitement over a discovered bug, is crucial for shaping our relationship with the natural world and contributes to mental health and well-being. This disconnection is particularly acute in cities, which are often perceived as devoid of nature due to their built environments.

However, the speaker argues that cities are, in fact, "teeming with insect life" and that embracing this biodiversity is essential for urban livability. Insects perform critical jobs:

• Pollination: Many insect species, including flies, butterflies, beetles, and moths (not just bees), are vital pollinators. This includes essential crops like berries, mangoes, and even chocolate, which is pollinated by a tiny fly. The pollination of native flowering plants, such as critically endangered orchid species, also relies on insects, underscoring the link between plant and insect conservation.
• Waste Management: Insects like cockroaches, blowflies, and maggots are crucial "waste managers," breaking down organic matter and keeping cities clean. The speaker provides a personal anecdote of a dung beetle rolling a piece of dung outside their house, illustrating this function.
• Pest Control: A "veritable army of insects and spiders" naturally controls pest populations that could otherwise decimate crops and gardens. Without these natural predators, urban agriculture would be impossible.

Shifting Perspectives: Beyond Utility to Intrinsic Value

The speaker expresses frustration with the common question, "What role does this animal play? How does it help us?" when discussing insects. This utilitarian perspective is contrasted with the public's appreciation for animals like koalas and platypuses, which are valued for their existence rather than their specific functions. The speaker advocates for a similar intrinsic appreciation for insects, arguing that one cannot claim to care about animal conservation without also caring about insects, given that they constitute 75% of all animal species.

The Scale of Insect Biodiversity and the Knowledge Gap

To illustrate the vastness of insect diversity, the speaker contrasts the approximately 6,500 mammal species with the estimated 5 to 10 million insect species on Earth, a number that is constantly being revised as thousands of new species are discovered annually. The speaker posits that new species could be found in any green space in Sydney with the right knowledge.

This immense biodiversity is coupled with a significant knowledge gap. The lack of understanding of insect ecology makes conservation efforts challenging. Key areas of ignorance include:

• Identification: Difficulty in conserving an animal without a name.
• Basic Ecology: Limited knowledge about where species are found, their diets, and habitat requirements.
• Population Trends: Uncertainty about whether populations are increasing, decreasing, or stable.

Opportunity in Ignorance: Citizen Science and Discovery

Despite the challenges, the speaker emphasizes that this lack of knowledge presents a "huge opportunity." Anyone can make impactful scientific discoveries by simply observing the insects around them, without needing exotic expeditions or specialized equipment. The speaker's own photos, many taken with a smartphone and a clip-on macro lens, exemplify this.

Observing insects reveals the "amazing biodiversity" and "ecological dramas" unfolding in cities. An example is provided of a photo showing a honeybee being preyed upon by a crab spider, with tiny jackal flies potentially stealing food from the spider. This single image offers a wealth of data on species about which little is known.

Enhancing Ecological Literacy and Contributing to Science

These observations not only foster reconnection with nature and lead to discoveries but also improve "ecological literacy" – learning species names and understanding inter-species interactions. Sharing these observations is crucial. Platforms like iNaturalist are highlighted as global biodiversity databases where users can upload sightings of any living organism. This data becomes accessible to scientists for research on species distribution, diet, and population dynamics, providing data that researchers lack the resources to collect independently.

The speaker shares a personal anecdote of uploading a photo to iNaturalist while on vacation, which was identified by fly scientists as the first live image of that animal ever recorded. This highlights how everyday sightings can be scientifically significant, especially since most museum specimens are dead and collected long ago, offering no information about live behavior or appearance. Such sightings provide crucial data on location, seasonality, and diet.

The Christmas Beetle Count and Citizen-Led Conservation

The Christmas Beetle Count project, run annually by the speaker, exemplifies the power of citizen science. In the past four years, community observers have rediscovered six types of Christmas beetle not seen for decades. These everyday observations have confirmed that these beetles are not extinct and have provided valuable data on their habitats.

Actionable Steps for Urban Insect Conservation

The speaker addresses the concern that city dwellers may feel powerless to help insects. Several direct actions are proposed:

• Planting Flowers: Especially native flowers, in various urban spaces like road verges, courtyards, backyards, and even on balconies. Flowers provide essential nutrition for a wide range of insects, including pollinators and predatory invertebrates like wasps, spiders, and ladybirds, improving their health and longevity. Planting flowers alongside crops in agricultural regions is known to enhance pest management.
• Eliminating Insecticides: The speaker urges the reduction or elimination of insecticide use in backyards. While acknowledging the frustration of pest damage, the speaker explains that most commercially available insecticides are broad-spectrum, killing beneficial insects alongside pests. Simple alternatives like planting more flowers and hand-removing pests are recommended to maintain a healthy urban ecosystem.

Conclusion: Thriving Cities for All Species

The summary concludes by reiterating that cities are "absolutely a buzz with insect life," which is a positive phenomenon. Embracing urban insect biodiversity offers opportunities for reconnection with nature, scientific discovery, and the creation of vibrant cities where all species, regardless of size, can thrive.