Page 41 - FWG 9 October 2021

Among the species in decline is the honey
bee. It is native to Africa and Europe from
where it was introduced to the Americas,
Asia and Oceania. Worldwide studies are
revealing serious declines in its population
yet the insect is critical to human survival
for it pollinates most of the crops on which
we depend. Its numbers are dropping
because of various factors and not just
the indiscriminate use of insecticides as
farming becomes industrialised.

In a sense, this is an encyclopaedic book,
though, understand, it is far from being
an encyclopaedia. It is designed to flow
as it intricately explores southern Africa’s
various habitats and their insect dynamics,
biome by biome.

As I burrowed through Pollinators, Predators
& Parasites, I felt strongly it should be
in every school and university library
for it must rate among the top half-a-
dozen important books on South Africa’s
biological wonderland and by far the most
comprehensive book we have on insects.

Nature could not function without insects.
Just as South Africa‘s variety of plants,
mammals and birds is among the richest
in the world so is our variety of insects.
Without that variety, the Cape’s world-
renowned floral kingdom would not exist.
And that’s just one incidental aspect. Our
beautiful variety of butterflies, the second Sample page from “Pollinators, Predators and Parasites”
most important pollinators after the bees,
is among the world’s most diverse.

The book’s 40-page introductory section
on the anatomy and ecological role of
insects is helpful in understanding insect
diversity, their anatomy, their habitats and
their individual ecological significance. The
chapters that follow examine, separately
and in detail, the insect populations in
each of our nine biomes from coastal
forest in the east to our desert in the west.
The region covered goes right up to the Dung Beetles generally improve the soil for plant growth
Photo by Meagen Mansell
Cunene/Zambezi line.

It took the three authors 10 years just to
assemble the material in an orderly and
appealing way. They are Clarke Scholtz,
professor of entomology at Pretoria;
Jenny Scholz who, for years, has been
associated with nature conservation;
and Hennie de Klerk a metallurgist with
a life-long interest in insects and wildlife
photography. Between them, they have The citrus swallowtail butterfly‘s larvae is 'designed' to
produced a landmark book on the natural Ladybirds, all predators . . . but useful ones merge with citrus leaves
history of southern Africa. Photo by Hennie de Klerk Photo by Hennie de Klerk

Fourways Gardens • 39 • October 2021