November 11, 2016

The Importance of Insects

Honey Ants,
Crickets (and
others)
Honey Ants are found in
central Australia and are
eaten by the Aboriginal
people by sucking the
honey stored in their
abdomens.
Crickets, beetles, wasps,
catepillars, locusts, cicadas
and many other types of
insects are commonly
eaten around the world
Tribes in Africa and
Australia utilize insects
as a regular part of
their diet
Popular dishes at
restaurants in Thailand
include crispy-fried

Bees
Bees provide a vast variety of
benefits to humans
Honey
Pollination: it is estimated
that $20 billion in crops in
the US alone each year are
pollinated by bees
Beeswax is used to make

Candles

Ointments

Lotions

Lip balms

Silkworms
Silkworms provide humans with
silk fibers
Silkworms eat Mulberry leaves
The caterpillar spins a cocoon
of silk threads
People unwind the silk thread
from the cocoons to weave it
into cloth or make yarn from it
Silk is also used for
parachutes, bicycle tires,
comforter fillings and artillery
gunpowder bags.

Lac Beetles
Lac beetles are also called Lac
Scale Insects
These insects secrete a resin
on the branches of trees.
The resin can be harvested on
sticks, crushed, and sieved
repeatedly to remove
impurities and insect parts.
The harvested lac then is
processed into shellac and
used in

Wood finishes

Skin cosmetics

Wool and leather dyes

varnishes

Cochineal Beetles
Female cochineal beetles
produce carminic acid, which
is treated to produce carmine.
Carmine produces deep red
dyes (scarlet and crimson).
The dye is used in
Dyes for fabrics,
Paintings
Hand-woven oriental rugs
Cosmetics
Natural food coloring

Dermestids
Dermestids are mostly
scavengers that feed on dry plant
or animal material, such as skin,
pollen, animal hair, feathers, etc.
These beetles can be used in
forensic entomology (criminal
investigations, determining
how long a body has been
dead)
Taxidermy
Natural history museums to
clean animal skeletons for
display

Dung Beetles
Dung Beetles play a huge role in
agriculture
They bury and consume dung,
improving nutrient recycling
and soil structure
Protect cattle and livestock by
removing the dung which could
provide food or a habitat for
other pests
Save the US cattle industry
about $380 million a year
burying manure
The introduction of dung
beetles to Australia resulted in
improvement in crop land and
cattle pastures

Blowfly (Larvae)
Blowfly Larvae, or maggots ,
are used in a type of
biotherapy to help with
wound healing
Improves healing in chronic
ulcers, such as diabetic foot
ulcers of diabetic patients
Improves healing when
necrotic tissue is present in
soft tissue wounds
Can help with healing after
surgery or trauma

Humans Benefit from Insects

Many different ways, some of which can be surprising
Food
Insect products for food (such as honey)
Insects themselves (crickets, wasps, cicadas, locusts, mantises,
grubs, catepillars, ants)
Pollination

Silk (fabric and yarn)

Lac insects polishes, varnishes, inks, sealants
Bees food, beeswax ointments, lotions, creams,
chapsticks, candles

Humans Benefit from Insects

Cocchineal insects bright red dyes
Tannin dyes from insect gall, also used to tan hides
Dermestids (carpet beetles) can be used to clean
skeletons for display in museums
Dung beetles introduction in Australia led to an increase
in useable crop land
Blowfly maggots can be used to clean necrotic tissue
and help heal wounds
Food for amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals (an
important layer of the food webs)