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European blister beetle named ‘Insect of the Year 2020’

  • November 27, 2019

Meloe proscarabaeus, a European blister beetle, has been named “Insect of the Year 2020” for Austria, Germany and Switzerland by the Senckenberg German Entomological Institute, which began proclaiming the award in 1999. The award was initiated by Holger Dathe, who was the institute’s director at the time.

Read more: ‘We cannot survive without insects’

Measuring between 10 and 35 millimeters in length (0.4-1.3 inches), the beetle has been part of human culture for some 4,000 years. Thomas Schmitt, the Scheckenberg Institute’s director and head of its selection committee, says the first reference of human use of its Cantharidin poison is likely an ancient Egyptian text from 1550 B.C: describing a bandage designed to induce contractions during childbirth.

Throughout history, Cantharidin, the odorless terpenoid the beetle secretes, has been prized as an aphrodisiac, a healing salve and a poison used by ancient Greeks for executions as well as by assassins in the modern era. The Cantharidin produced by one beetle is enough to kill an adult human.

Endangered despite high reproduction rates

In the course of its life the beetle uses the substance to protect larvae and pupae against predators. The name blister beetle comes from chemical burns that occur from exposure to the substance. Blister beetles are also commonly referred to as oil beetles, due to the fact that they release droplets of Cantharidin when threatened.

One unique aspect of the life cycle of the blister beetle is the fact that its larvae, which are laid underground, crawl onto flowers where pollinating bees transport them back to their hives. At that point, the larvae feed on bee eggs and pollen until they emerge from the hives between March and May.

The blister beetle is a prodigious procreator, with a single female being capable of laying between 3,000 and 9,500 eggs every one-to-two weeks as many as five or six times. Despite that, the insect has been placed on Germany’s red list of endangered species due to loss of habitat. Blister beetles are predominantly found in sandy, open spaces, mostly in proximity to heath landscapes, dry meadows and orchards.

  • Two butterflies sucking nectar from orange flowers

    What have insects ever done for us?

    Planet of the insects

    From pretty butterflies to pesky mosquitoes — insects are among the most diverse and dominant groups on earth. Nearly 1 million species are known to exist and there are likely many more to be discovered. According to a UN biodiversity study, up to 40% of insects species are threatened with extinction in some parts of the world. Many people do not realize that their loss would be keenly felt.

  • Woman pollinates apple blossoms using a small brush

    What have insects ever done for us?

    Skilled pollinators

    Crops, such as wheat, are wind pollinated, but many other food crops depend on insects for pollination. Their disappearance would come at great cost to farmers. Some $235 billion of yearly global food production relies on pollinators. In some farms in China, workers are hand-pollinating apple and pear trees because of the lack of bees. Such labor-intensive work pushes up food prices.

  • A man harvests coffee

    What have insects ever done for us?

    Poorer plates

    Pollinator disappearance also means we’d lack much of the fruit and vegetables we eat — and we wouldn’t be enjoying beloved treats like chocolate and coffee. Apart from food, pollinators also contribute to the fibers, such as cotton, from which we make our clothes, as well as to plants on which certain medicines are based.

  • A dung beetle sitting on a ball of dung

    What have insects ever done for us?

    Nature’s cleanup crew

    Many insects, like the dung beetle pictured here, decompose dead plant matter, carrion and feces that would otherwise be left to decay in our environment. Basically, the world would be a smellier and less hygienic place without them.

  • A bird eats an insect

    What have insects ever done for us?

    A meal for other creatures

    Insects are the main source of food for many other animals, including amphibians, reptiles, certain mammals, and birds. And as insects disappear, there could be declines in the species that feed on them too. Ornithologists believe sharp declines in bird species in the UK, for instance, are at least partly linked to a drop in insect numbers.

  • A corn borer on a corn plant

    What have insects ever done for us?

    Difficulties adapting

    Climate change is also affecting insects that are slow to adapt. Bumblebees for instance are suited to cool and wet climates and may find it difficult in warmer weather. But insects that are pests are already spreading to new habitats. The European corn borer (pictured), which can destroy corn harvests, is among them. That means farmers use more pesticides that kill pollinating insects.

  • A man walks through a soybean field

    What have insects ever done for us?

    No place for pollinators

    Intensive farming is one of the major factors behind insect declines in Europe. Fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides are all driving the decline, as are monocultures — the practise of growing of a single crop or plant. That takes refuge and habitat, like diverse flowering meadows, away from insects.

  • An insect hotel

    What have insects ever done for us?

    A home for insects

    Experts say a more insect-friendly farming policy that relies less on pesticides and monocultures would boost their numbers. But planting blooming flowers in gardens and urban areas would also provide food and habitat for bumblebees and butterflies. Another option is building more “insect hotels,” (pictured) for solitary critters, like leafcutter bees, which like to nest in tunnels.

    Author: Jennifer Collins


Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/european-blister-beetle-named-insect-of-the-year-2020/a-51443291?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf

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