Why study insects?
1. ubiquitous - diversity
2. general biology - e.g. anatomy, neurophysiology-pheromones.
3. learn from them
i. interactions - food webs.
ii. biological control.
4. food - protein source - yes folks, insects are edible.
5. pollination - food production.
6. commercial products
i. honey
ii. silk
7. scientific research - Drosophila - a tool to study genetics .
8. scavengers - recycle organic material.
9. pest management - agricultural entomology.
- < 1% pests.
- carry diseases.
- direct damage - wood, cloth, stored products, field crops.
Diversity
1,400,000 described species
275,000 - flowering plants
44,000 - vertebrates:
9,000 birds
4,050 mammals
2,800 fish
5,600 reptiles
3,260 amphibians
How many vertebrates left to be discoverd?
989,000 - invertebrates of which 792,500 - insects
How many insects left to be discovered?
Terry Erwin - tropics (millions of new species to be described).
Hugh Danks - Canada (50% of estimated 57,000 species described).