Insects and People: Products and Services

Out of all the insect species in the world, only about __ are pests of humans

5%

In what areas can insects be pests?

Urban, Agriculture, Disease, etc.

Bees produce many things including, some of which we take advantage of or consume

* Honey
* Beeswax
* Pollen
* Royal Jelly
* Venom

Apiculture

farming of bees

Silkworms have been farmed for a very long time

(4500\~ BCE in by the Yangshao culture in China)

Sericulture

farming of silk

Some species of scale insects can be harvested for their naturally produced properties

* Cochineal/Carmine dye
* Shellac from scales
* Red dye number four
* Ink from oak galls
* During medieval times, ink was made from the tannins in trees Can be collected from oak galls

Insect Suppliers

* They can be used as food for humans, as well as in medicine
* Pollen pellets, which bees carry, can be eaten and are very nutritious (corbiula= pollen basket)
* Mead made from honey
* Carnivorous plants

How can insects serve other organisms?

Through being their food

What animals can you think of that eat ONLY insects (completely insectivores)?

Mosquito fish, toad, lizards, swallows, woodpeckers, anteaters,

What animals can you think of that eat insects sometimes?

Trout, sunfish, salamanders, frogs, gecko, garter snake, robins

How are plants pollinated?

* Insects across the globe serve as pollinators for flowering plants
* Most temperate flowering plants (and some crops) rely on insect pollination

What is a pollinator that eats insects?

Bats are also pollinators who eat insects

What types of pollinators are out there?

* Bees, ants, wasps, beetles, flies, mosquitoes, and moths/butterflies


* Wasps are the only ones who can pollinate fig trees, so figs would go extinct without wasps

How does bee pollination benefit us?

* Without bees, we would have few fruits and vegetables
* Bees on the decline!

Role of Insect Predators

* Many insects (and arthropods) serve as predators and parasitoids of other insects controlling their populations
* Warriors of the insect world ensure the balance of nature by eating other insects

What are the ultimate decomposers?

Insects are the ultimate decomposers. They turn dead and decaying plants and animals and their waste products into reusable sources of C, H, N, O, P, etc.

Saprophagous

insects that feed on decaying organic matter

* They turn this organic matter back into reusable nutrients (C, H, N, O, P)

Different bugs that decompose matter

* Wood and Plants: Termites, Beetles, Flies, Ants, etc.
* Animal Carcasses: Flies, Skin/Fur/Hide Beetles, Burying beetles, etc.
* Animal Waste: Dung flies, Beetles, etc.
* Insects are also used in forensic entomology to see how long a body has been dead for.

Insects as lab rats

* We have used flies and other insects as model organisms in science for many years now
* *Drosophila melanogaster* & genetics
* No one cares if insects are used in experiments, rather than other animals, so there is a lot less regulation.

How are insects used in entertainment?

* Insects can serve as a source of inspiration for many movies, T.V. shows, and literature
* Often portrayed as villains…