News

National Insect Week

Thursday 24th June 2010

From 21st to 27th June, National Insect Week provides everyone the opportunity to learn more about the extraordinary and fascinating diversity of insects in the UK. Although small and often over-looked, insects comprise around 75 percent of the total animal species that have so far been described. There are an incredible 24,000 species in Britain alone, many of which can be found in our own homes and gardens, showing that biodiversity is not just about wildlife in exotic places.

Insects undertake a remarkable variety of ecosystem services, from pollinating the flowers of our crops that provide us with food, to recycling the nutrients in dead and decaying wood. They display an incredible diversity of body shapes and colours, amazing behaviours, and a multitude of interactions with the environment and humans. However, despite their evident importance, we still know very little about these diminutive creatures, and it is essential that we learn more about these animals with which our lives are so intrinsically linked.

Organised by the Royal Entomological Society, during National Insect Week there will be a huge range of fun events and activities taking place across the country. There will be experts on hand to help you catch and identify your favourite creepy-crawlies, and to provide advice on how to make your garden more insect-friendly, as well as pond-dipping and beetle hunts. If you fancy joining in the fun and learning more about the UK’s amazing variety of insects, here are a few examples of some of the species you could discover:

Six-spot burnet moth on flower
A day-flying moth, the bold red markings on the wings of the the six-spot burnet moth warn potential predators that it is poisonous. On bright, sunny days between June and August, this attractive species can be seen feeding on the nectar of a wide range of flowers, with wild thyme being a particular favourite of this moth.
Male common blue damselfly
As its name implies, the common damselfly is one of the most abundant damselflies in the UK, and can be found around any freshwater watercourse with plenty of bankside vegetation. Astonishingly, adults of this species only live for an average of 12 days, in which time they must breed and lay their clutch of eggs.
Seven-spot ladybird
The seven-spot ladybird is one of the most well-known and popular species of all British beetles. Both adults and larvae are voracious predators of aphids, and are one of the gardener's greatest natural allies. Unfortunately, harlequin ladybirds, originally from Asia, have found their way to Britain and are rapidly spreading across the country. Not only does this invader have a huge appetite for aphids, leaving little for the seven-spot ladybird, they also prey on other ladybirds when food resources are low, threatening to wipe out our native species.
Peacock butterfly
A well-known and instantly recognisable species thanks to its unique patterning, the peacock butterfly earns its name from the stunning eyespots, which frighten predators or divert birds from attacking the body. This butterfly is widespread and common in the southern half of Britain, but becomes scarcer further north, and is a familiar visitor to parks and gardens.
Female crab spider lying in wait for prey
Reminiscent of a crab, with its wide flattened body and the first pair of legs held apart, the crab spider displays the remarkable ability to alter its colour to match its background. Instead of spinning a web to catch its prey, this spider lies in wait on flowers to swiftly ambush an insect, before injecting it with venom from slender fangs.

To find out more about insects, and National Insect Week, see:

National Insect Week: http://www.nationalinsectweek.co.uk/
The Royal Entomological Society: http://www.royensoc.co.uk/
Amateur Entomologists' Society: http://www.amentsoc.org/



Archived news items

Wednesday 27th October 2010
IUCN study confirms vertebrate extinction crisis

Wednesday 20th October 2010
Rat eradication planned for Pacific island

Wednesday 13th October 2010
WWF Releases its Living Planet Report 2010

Thursday 30th September 2010
One in five plant species under threat

Monday 20th September 2010
‘Asian unicorn’ found in Lao PDR

Tuesday 14th September 2010
Turtles In Trouble

Thursday 19th August 2010
Rare giraffe added to IUCN Red List

Wednesday 11th August 2010
Search begins for the world's 'lost frogs'

Monday 9th August 2010
New species of titi monkey discovered in Colombia

Friday 30th July 2010
Elusive carnivores photographed in Sabah

Tuesday 20th July 2010
Mysterious primate caught on camera for the first time

Wednesday 7th July 2010
Rescue Plan for Endangered Sea Turtles

Thursday 17th June 2010
Have a 'Wild Night In' with the BBC

Monday 14th June 2010
ARKive's World Cup Dream Team

Wednesday 2nd June 2010
Mystery disease kills 12,000 saiga antelope

Thursday 27th May 2010
BirdLife releases update on the status of the world’s birds

Saturday 22nd May 2010
World celebrates biodiversity

Friday 7th May 2010
ARKive Education needs your views

Thursday 22nd April 2010
World celebrates Earth Day 2010

Friday 26th March 2010
Earth hour 2010 - Surviving in the dark

Thursday 18th March 2010
Europe's Insects at Risk from Habitat Loss

Friday 5th March 2010
Abu Dhabi wildlife photography exhibition

Wednesday 24th February 2010
Primates in Peril

Thursday 11th February 2010
Sir David Attenborough launches ARKive's 'Most Wanted' 2010 Challenge

Thursday 21st January 2010
365 days of biodiversity

Monday 14th December 2009
IUCN releases climate change hit list

Tuesday 3rd November 2009
2009 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Extinction crisis continues

Monday 19th October 2009
ARKive dives deeper for digital imagery

Monday 5th October 2009
ARKive working with STERNA to create access to European digital collections

Friday 16th September 2009
ARKive's UAE Wildlife Photography Competition - Winner Announced

Friday 4th September 2009
BBC's Last Chance to See

Wednesday 19th August 2009
Giant carnivorous plant discovered in Philippines

Wednesday 1st July 2009
Celebrating Darwin

Friday 26th June 2009
World's smallest cetacean on the brink

Wednesday 17th June 2009
New havens for the Hawaiian monk seal

Monday 8th June 2009
World Oceans Day 2009

Wednesday 3rd June 2009
Research reveals jaguar secrets

Thursday 21st May 2009
Komodo dragon found to be venomous

Friday 15th May 2009
The United States celebrates Endangered Species Day

Thursday 14th May 2009
More birds threatened with extinction than ever before

Friday 8th May 2009
Released pygmy hogs alive and well

Wednesday 29nd April 2009
Shark finning crackdown

Wednesday 22nd April 2009
World celebrates Earth Day 2009

Wednesday 15th April 2009
Intrepid scientists discover new orang-utan population on Borneo

Wednesday 1st April 2009
Rapid response helps the sociable lapwing

Friday 27th March 2009
ARKive works with WWF to promote Earth Hour

Friday 20th March 2009
Deadly fungus strikes mountain chicken

Wednesday 11th March 2009
Explore ARKive's threatened marine species using Google Earth

Monday 23rd February 2009
Good news for Critically Endangered parrot

Monday 2nd February 2009
Find ARKive's threatened marine species using Google Earth

Thursday 29th January 2009
Mysterious penguin decline

Friday 16th January 2009
An important message from the DNA of an extinct marsupial

Wednesday 7th January 2009
Wildscreen chairman receives OBE

Monday 15th December 2008
Albatross under threat from predatory mice

Monday 8th December 2008
Conservationists battle to save the gharial from extinction

Tuesday 18th November 2008
ARKive Photographers Feature at UK’s Largest Natural History Photography Symposium

Monday 6th October 2008
2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™

Wednesday 3rd September 2008
International partnership takes Wildscreen's work to the United Arab Emirates

Wednesday 27th August 2008
Newly discovered monkey clings to survival

Wednesday 13th August 2008
A whale of a recovery

Friday 8th August 2008
China under the spotlight

Thursday 31st July 2008
New light shed on the ocean depths

Wednesday 23rd July 2008
Half of Philippine fauna nearly extinct

Wednesday 16th July 2008
One third of reef-building corals face extinction

Thursday 10th July 2008
New Natural Wonders added to the World Heritage List

Thursday 3rd July 2008
Rare white-tailed eagle spotted in Northern Ireland

Monday 23rd June 2008
National Insect Week

Friday 13th June 2008
Fishermen help protect Indian Ocean albatrosses

Tuesday 3rd June 2008
The return of Cambodia's wildlife

Thursday 22nd May 2008
International day for biological diversity

Wednesday 14th May 2008
Koalas at risk from climate change

Thursday 1st May 2008
Time is running out for Asian vultures

Tuesday 22nd April 2008
Migrating birds in decline

Friday 11th April 2008
Wildscreen's Patron Sir David Attenborough launches ARKive layer on Google Earth

Tuesday 25th March 2008
WWF reports that Australian wildlife is under pressure

Wednesday 12th March 2008
Tiger numbers 'halve in 25 years'

Tuesday 26th February 2008
South Africa lifts the ban on culling elephants