Page 47 - Waterfall Issue 11 2021

HEY! WHAT

ABOUT insECTs?

By James Clarke
T he general public, by Not that this 450-page book was

intended to be yet another ‘green’
inclination, tends to view
conservationists as people
book of serious science filled with
concerned mostly with saving exhortation. It is, basically, a delightful
the big, hairy and cuddly. unfair, excellent illustrations (1 600 photographs
perhaps, yet maybe we conservationists alone) and bite-sized, though intricate,
deserve that rather narrow image. texts describing individual species,
their anatomy, their incredibly diverse
These were my thoughts after spending but critically important roles in the
hours reading – or, rather, compulsively various ecosystems and their status.
and happily browsing one of the
most browsable books I have ever It made me wonder how many of us
come across: Pollinators, Predators & conservationists are currently aware
Parasites published by Struik Nature. of the seriousness of the decline in third may already be threatened with
the populations of critically important extinction. Without quick intervention
I found myself, figuratively at least, species here and overseas. to slow or reverse the situation,
sitting bolt upright soon after I the environmental consequences
opened the book. I realised how According to the foreword by Johan are likely to be catastrophic.”
conservationists (and I include myself) van Zyl, Pretoria university’s vice-
and our institutions, have signally failed chancellor and professor of agriculture, Among the species in decline is the
to recognise the pivotal role of insects “Disturbing recent studies have reported honey bee. It is native to Africa and
when it comes to human survival and the alarming declines of insect populations Europe from where it was introduced
threats building up against the 50 000 with as many as half of the world’s to the Americas, Asia and Oceania.
or so recognised South African species. insects so rapidly declining that one Worldwide studies are revealing serious

Worker honey bees are all female Lattice moths – one of the few diurnal moths
Photo by Hennie de klerk Photo by Hennie de klerk

Foam locust: the foam is a repellent against would-be predators Butterflies - the second most important pollinators after bees
Photo by Mike Picker Photo by Hennie de klerk

Waterfall Issue 11 2021 45