Norris:

Where are the insects? I can’t seem to find anyone who wants to talk about this–or agrees that it’s a problem. Possibly in your area it’s not but here in Central New York(Syracuse) there are so few insects it’s scary. I left a screen off a bedroom window this spring since it was a favorite cat hang-out–telling them that shortly I’d have to put it on. I never did–and nothing gets in–an unheard of situation. We live on the edge an old forest fragment and there has always been a bee tree. I’m aware of the honeybee troubles and wasn’t surprised (but dismayed) that there were only a few at the water I put out for them–then I realized I was seeing no yellow jackets or other hornets and not wasps. These have always been abundant. I pondered the idea that the honeybee plight was also affecting other hymenoptera. But it doesn’t stop with them–there is a definite drastic reduction in insect numbers of all kinds. I hope I’m not telling you something you don’t know and would really appreciate your “take” on this situation.—Thanks–Norris

Hello Norris, I can answer this question quite simply…all the insects are in my collection jars

Seriously though, I can assure you that while honey bee populations may or may not be disappearing (for more info on recent news with the honey bees, see here), there are still plenty of insects abounding around us. Coincidently I work in the greater Syracuse area, a lot of my insect photos posted on this site come from there. I can’t say I have noticed a lack of bugs.

One of the reasons you may be noticing a decline in insect activity in your backyard could be a lack of nutritional resources. You mentioned your backyard was on the edge of an old forest fragment. Generally speaking, there is less insect diversity in a forest, than say a prairie or other area with lots of under story plant resources. The kind of hymenopterans you are describing seek out plants high in nectar and pollen…so if those sorts of plants are lacking in your backyard they’ll be forced to seek food and set up shop else where. And since it is a forest fragment, there may be a lot of insects crawling around that you don’t see, like ground beetles, wood boring insects, moths, flies, and the like.

I’d love to hear other opinions on the honey bee colony collapse hype and even the idea that Norris is proposing of other insects populations declining as well.

First, I should mention that I am way backed up with ‘Ask and Entomologist’ questions from readers…so be patient with me as I get to them when I can. There are some good questions that have been asked so keep your eyes out.

Oran:

I was reading a blog the other day and the author mentioned trying to rescue a bee from a pool. He’d take it out, but it would keep on walking to the pool again and again. He wondered why he even bothered, seeing how bees are not sentient and what not. Well, that brought about a few questions. One: any ideas on why it kept going to the pool? Two: do you think insects like this can experience pain/suffering? Three: arthropods have ganglia instead of real brains, but I’m guessing they communicate with each other. Would you say the whole ganglial system is like one brain? and four: do arthropods have the same kinds of neurotransmitters (and used the same way) as humans do?

They’re probably difficult questions to answer (I remember people experimenting on lobsters to see if they felt pain, some concluding they do and others that they don’t), but a guess from an entomologist is better than my guess.

For those who may not know what sentient means, like I did at first, it refers to the ability to perceive or feel. To claim that insects do not have the ability to feel or perceive is a gross misjudgment, more about that in a sec though. I will answer the series of questions in order.

One: Why did the bee keep going in the pool? No idea. It could have something to do with the water surface reflectance looking like something else to the insect. A lot of insects look like bees, maybe it wasn’t a bee and an insect that was looking for a drink. A lot of times you see flies sucking up the rain water that collects on plants.

Two: Do insects experience pain? Yes. Well actually, this concept has been disputed, but I think recent evidence suggests that they do experience what is defined as pain. Vertebrates have nociceptors, which are specialized neurons that sense painful stimuli. Painful stimuli are described as noxious heat, mechanical or chemical stimuli that could potentially cause tissue damage. Tracey Jr. et al. (2003, sited above) found the following:

In models of nociception, noxious heat is often used as the stimulus to elicit a defensive motor output, as in the tail flick response of the rat. Since heat has also been shown to be an effective negatively reinforcing stimulus in adult Drosophila learning (Brembs and Heisenberg 2000 and Mariath 1985), we conjectured that heat might also be used to study nociception per se. A normal, undisturbed Drosophila larva moves through its environment with a rhythmic motion (Figure 1A). In response to light touch with a probe, a larva will pause (Figure 1B) or make one or more contractile waves, moving away from the stimulus (Kernan et al., 1994). In contrast, when touched with the same probe heated above a threshold temperature, larvae are seen to vigorously roll sideways in a corkscrew-like motion (Figure 1C). The threshold probe temperature for eliciting this behavior is 39°C–41°C (noxious heat), at which temperature several seconds of stimulation are required to induce rolling, but at 42°C or higher, the response occurs in as little as 0.4 s (Figure 1D). Importantly, the temperature threshold for firing of nociceptors in vertebrates, including primates, is similar, 39°C–41°C (Tillman et al., 1995). Since vertebrate nociceptors also respond to noxious mechanical stimuli (Beck et al. 1974; Bessou and Perl 1969 and Van Hees and Gybels 1981), we examined the response of Drosophila larvae to strong punctate stimuli or pinching of the cuticle with forceps, and these elicited the same rolling behavior as noxious heat.

But, like I said, there is some contention to the matter. Here is a nice little review on insect pain. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, below is an excerpt.

In the majority of examples of invertebrate nociception noted above, there seems to be little, if any, evidence that the animals’ responses persist in anything akin to the manner described for mammals. As Eisemann et al. (1984) have described in a review of the “biological evidence” concerning pain in insects, “No example is known to us of an insect showing protective behavior towards injured parts, such as by limping after leg injury or declining to feed or mate because of general abdominal injuries. On the contrary, our experience has been that insects will continue with normal activities even after severe injury or removal of body parts.”

Eisemann et al. (1984) use a variety of examples to support this contention, including:

* an insect walking with a crushed tarsus continues “applying it to the substrate with undiminished force”;
* a locust carries on feeding while being eaten by a mantis;
* a tsetse fly, although half-dissected, flies in to feed.

Although some insect behavior, such as the writhing of insects poisoned by insecticides, or the struggling of restrained living insects, resembles that of “higher animals responding to painful stimuli,” Eisemann et al. conclude that the resemblance is superficial and that it “no more requires the presence of a pain sense than do reflexive withdrawal responses.” Similarly, although it has been shown that fruit flies can be trained to avoid certain odors and colored lights when these are associated with impending electric shock (Quinn et al., 1974), such learning is open to explanation in terms of neural mechanisms, without the need to postulate subjective experience on the part of flies.

The “relatively simple organization” of the insect central nervous system, Elsemann et al. argue, “raises the question of whether any experience akin to human pain could be generated” in these animals (and by implication in other invertebrates with a similar or less complex nervous organization). On the analysis of Gould and Gould (1982), the answer to such a question would be “no,” for these authors can find no evidence for conscious experience in insects. Certainly, on the limited amount of evidence presented here, it seems very difficult to imagine that insects and the other simpler invertebrates mentioned above can “suffer” pain in anything like the vertebrate sense. Nevertheless, the issue certainly is not closed, and further questions should be asked.

Perhaps such a view simply reflects a paucity of (human) imagination. Griffin (1984) surely would urge us to maintain an open mind on the issue, having provided behavioral evidence which, he argues, should challenge “the widespread belief’ that an insect, for example, “is too small and its central nervous system too differently organized from ours to be capable of conscious thinking and planning or subjective feelings.” Indeed, to take a more radical view, perhaps “it is presumptuous for us to assume that because our suffering involves self-awareness, this should also be true of other species” (McFarland, 1989).

Alternatively, perhaps, as Mather (1989) suggests, we should simply accept that these animals “are different from us, and wait for more data.”

Three: Would you say the whole ganglia system is like one brain? Well actually, they do have a ‘brain’. Their central nervous system is made up of a double-chain of ganglia joined by lateral and longitudinal connectives. The ‘brain’ is the anterior ganglia and it is actually the fusion of 3 separate lobes (the protocerebrum, the deutocerebrum, and the tritocerebrum), collectively called the supraesophageal ganglion.

The connectives run next to the subesophageal ganglion, which is near the foregut. Posterior to the subesophageal ganglion is the thoracic ganglia (also sometimes called the thoracico-abdominal ganglion). These three ganglia make up the CNS.

Four: Do insects have the same kinds of neurotransmitters as humans do? A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that is released when a nerve impulse reaches the synapse. Yes insects have them and even more they have some of the same neurotransmitters as vertebrates do, such as serotonin, dopamine, and acetylcholine. Do they act similarly in insects as they do in vertebrates? Thats a great question and one in which I am a coauthor on a series of papers that are going through the review process right now (concerning octopamine and serotonin) in attempt to answer. I’ll wait to tell you more about that once the papers are published. But in short, I can say yes and no

Arafa:

Can you list the names of insects that can produce light?

Picture Credit: Glowworm Tours in New Zealand

Bioluminescence has been described for several groups of plants, microbes, and animals. Insects that produce light include some springtails (Collembola), the fulgorid lantern bug (Hemiptera), some fungus gnats (Dipterans), and several families (Lampyridae, Elateridae, Drilidae, and Phengodidae) of beetles (Coleoptera).

Bioluminescence has been more heavily studied and described in the beetles. Members of the Lampyrids, or fireflies, have light-producing organs in their abdomens. Depending on the species, both males and females can produce light, as well as the larval stages. Luminescent larvae (of both beetles and flies) are often called glowworms. The light flash patterns, including duration and frequency, are species specific and are involved in mate attraction. Generally it is the males that are flashing in order to attract mates, but there are of course some crafty carnivorous females who light up to trick prey. Light is produced by a luciferase enzyme reaction where the pigment luciferin is oxidized.

Fungus gnat larvae found in caves in New Zealand have light producing organs that are modified parts of their malpighian tubules (waste removal system of the insect). The adult fly lays her egg on a mucus string from the ceiling and this is where the developing larvae hang from. Small insects flying through the caves are attracted to the bioluminescence and consequently get caught in the sticky threads where the developing larvae then feed on them.

Julie:

How can i stop bottle flies from coming to my yard? They have laid their eggs on my rabbit’s rear end and she’s now recovering from this. I have cleaned the yard of all the poop and soaked it with water everyday to get rid of any urine or poop smells but they still come to my yard and they are just every where please help. I need a pet safe way to keep them away from my yard, my rabbit and turtle eat the grass so no toxic stuff can be used.

Well believe it or not but they are actually doing you a favor. Females lay their eggs on the material that the larvae eat…so they are actually acting like a clean-up crew for you. With that said though, they can get out of hand with their numbers. They need two types of food sources, carbohydrates, which they get from pollen/nectar and protein, which they get from decaying and fecal matter.

The first and best thing to do is the method you are already employing and that it remove their breeding sites. Keep the rabbit and pen clean and free of any decaying/fecal matter. Also try to keep the area dry as they will lay eggs anywhere it is moist, especially because they can detect even the faintest hint of that material using the receptors on their tarsi (feet).

There are fly baits you can put out in trash bins and such, see here. There are also fly sticky paper traps and bottle traps. Examples of the bottle traps can be found here , including the ‘Victor Fly Magnet Bag Trap’, which specifically advertises for control against bottle flies.

Laura:

Hi Kelley, I sure have enjoyed reading all about your bugs but especially the birds you see. Now I have the most FAQ you get: what is this creature? Habitat was arid mesquite, shin oak, juniper hillside (the type perfect for Black-capped Vireo, Scott’s Oriole, and Rufous-crowned Sparrow. I’ve got two pictures of the red caterpillar, just click the next arrow at the top of the first picture to advance to the next picture.

That mini-beast is wild looking, huh? It’s a pipevine swallowtail caterpillar. There is some nice info here and here about the butterfly.

Dave:

Could you give me any idea what insect could be preying on my pea plants. They are up about 5″ and where fine until just recently..The leaves are chewed badly on just about every one of the four rows of about 10′.. I live in Washington state in the Seattle-Tacoma area.

It could be a variety of things, have you noticed anything on the plants in the act or just the damage? It could be some kind of looper or cutworm. Loopers are a caterpillar that are mostly green with white stripes on their sides. They loop their backs as they move across the plants, hence the name “looper”. They usually chew characteristic holes in the leaves.

It could be a bean leaf beetle. They eat rounded holes through the leaf and chew the stems. This insect is probably the least likely to be the one affecting your peas as I doubt the adults are out yet.

It could be woolly bears, which chomp on the foliage.

It could even be garden slugs, which chew very large holes or even eat the whole leaf during the night. They are inactive during the day and usually hiding under debris.

So, I think the first thing that you need to do is get a better idea of what is lurking around your garden in order to narrow down what it is and how to stop it. What kind of damage are you seeing to your pea plants (i.e., small round holes in the leaves, entire leaves defoliated, chewing on the stems)? Do you see any larvae hiding underneath the leaves or on the sides of the stems? Do you see slugs hiding underneath potted plants or other debris in the garden? More clues will help narrow down better answers Let me know what you find.

Marc:

I found this very strange bug in my yard, so I am going to unfortunately ask you your least favorite question. What on good gods earth is this bug I found in my house/garden? I don’t even know how to describe it. I had an exterminator visit last week in an effort to get ahead of the ants this year. I am sure the pesticide that was sprayed drove this little creature out of his nice home. It kind of looks like it has the back legs of a grasshopper, the body of a moth with a forked tail and wings that aren’t suitable for flying. The head and front legs look like a lobster but instead of claws it has spiked paddle looking things. As of now, it is still alive but suffering the affects of the pesticides. I have seen lots of bugs and usually don’t shy away from them, but this thing has me wanting to move just thinking that he might have friends just like him.

Photo Credit: M. Sorbellini

I love your description. And you have to admit the thing does look crazy-cool. Your mystery bug is a mole cricket (Gryllotalpidae). Good find, because most people never actually see them as they spend most of their life underground. They eat things like other soil dwelling larvae and roots of grasses. Some species can cause a lot of turf problems because of their tunnel systems below the ground…and a lot of companies spray pesticides for them, but that is more for people who really care what their lawns look like, such as golf courses.

Cordell:

I was wondering about the Baetis (Mayflies) on the Provo River and the Green River in Utah. I catch a lot of fish when the Baetis hatch. The fish seem to move up into faster water and start eating on the Baetis that are emerging, swimming, and floating on the surface. The question that I have is do you know why I stop catching fish when the hatch is over. Do you know if the insects just stop swimming, if the fish dont like to exert a lot of energy when nothing is hatching (water might be cold still) or maybe something else if happening?

A Mayfly

I am told, by a colleague of mine who is an avid fly fisherman, that you are probably fishing the wrong insect lifecycle or water column.

Mayflies have 4 main life stages (nymph, emerger, dun, and spinner) that are important to know for the fisherman. Nymphs spend their time under rocks and in the stream bed debris. Fish will feed on nymphs as they move from the rocks and drift down stream. This usually happens early morning to mid-day. Emerger is when the nymph begins to swim to the surface in order to molt before hatching into an adult. The dun, or adult mayfly, hatches and crawls on top of the water’s surface. Usually adult flight occurs mid-day during hatches and mating swarms take place. After mating takes place, the females fly back to the water to deposit eggs. Since adult mayflies only live for a day or two, the last life stage is also important for fishing and they are called spinners. Mayflies become weak after a full day of mating and laying eggs and they eventually fall to the water’s surface and die. Usually spinners are found at the end of the day, so as a fisherman, you’d change your style of fishing to match a spinner (meaning no drag on the line) if you were fishing in the evening. Knowing not only the insect’s life cycle, but also daily activity patterns in the stream/river is a useful tool for any fisherman.

So, to answer your question…you probably catch more fish during hatch because thats where all the activity is at that time, especially if your line is near the surface of the water. Both nymphs and fish are up and active at the surface of the water. After hatch is over, you’d want to switch your fishing technique so that you are fishing the lower water columns by the stream bed where all the next generation nymphs will be active and where the fish will be searching for meals.