By Denis Crawford
Insects are the only invertebrates that can fly, and flight has allowed insects to dominate most terrestrial ecosystems.
Insects first took to the air 350 to 400 million years ago, but like most evolutionary developments, it didn’t happen overnight.… Continue reading
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Think weevil, think pest? Think again. Weevils are incredibly diverse, and some species are plant pollinators.
With about 400,000 species worldwide, the insect order Coleoptera (beetles) accounts for about 25% of all animal species on earth. 20% of those beetles are weevils of the superfamily Curculionoidea.… Continue reading
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Tiny Trichogramma wasps are mass reared to control caterpillar pests (image supplied by Denis Crawford)
By Denis Crawford
There is a long and fascinating history of mass rearing of various insects, and it seems that the practice is set to expand somewhat.
There has been a lot of press in the last couple of years about farming insects for human consumption.… Continue reading
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Insects that have life cycles of complete metamorphosis have larvae that come in a variety of forms.
A life cycle of complete metamorphosis (holometabolous) means hatching from an egg into a larval stage, then pupating, and later emerging as an adult.… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Patrick Regnault
Governments, NGOs (non-government organisations), media scientists, and politicians of all persuasions are thinking about climate change mitigation; good on them! Carbon offset using tree planting is like dressing a deep wound with a small plaster. It takes 10 to 20 years for a tree to become carbon neutral – are the offsets counted after that time?… Continue reading
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This caterpillar has three pairs of true legs and four pairs of abdominal prolegs (Supplied by Denis Crawford of Graphic Science)
Many insects are instantly recognisable but what do you do when you find an insect you’ve never seen before?
If I described an insect as having a triangular head with large eyes, spindly hind legs and grasping raptorial forelegs, I reckon most of you would have an image of a praying mantis in mind.… Continue reading
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The trunks of the same forest have a diameter ranging from 200mm to 400mm depending on the species (Image: Patrick Regnault)
By Patrick Regnault
On social media, radio and television programs, the Miyawaki afforestation method is lauded as a solution to the environmental crisis and land degradation. Akira Miyawaki was a botanist and expert in plant ecology who developed a method of rapid reafforestation using native endemic species.… Continue reading
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Many ants are beneficial, but some ant species can be pests in some situations. When is that?
This Pest Files is inspired by some recent encounters I had with ants. In late January 2023 I noticed several species of ants climbing the trunk of a young roadside gumtree (Eucalyptus obliqua).… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Patrick Regnault
Humans and nature are a paradox. On one hand we talk of a need to find our place in nature but on the other we separate ourselves from it. Can we be of nature and distinct at the same time?… Continue reading
Read MoreBy Denis Crawford
Biological control may not be an instant pest solution, but it is a pest control option well worth pursuing.
Large parts of eastern Australia have just been through a very wet spring and early summer. That period of warm wet weather meant a boom time for mosquitoes, they were everywhere in huge numbers.… Continue reading
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