01 November,2023 03:04 AM IST | Mumbai | Devashish Kamble
Participants at a previous exploration
Throughout history, wars have been waged and men have killed and died, all to assert their ownership over a tiny piece of this great globe. While the convoluted histories and claims of who came first are hard to judge, one thing is for sure - it's an insect's world. The creepy-crawlies don't just predate us by over 400 million years, but also outnumber any other class of terrestrial animals with an estimated population of 1.4 billion insects for every human on the planet. As monsoon showers bid the city adieu, the insects at the BNHS Conservation Education Centre in Goregaon end their hiatus and emerge to start a new life cycle.
"Insect population booms in the months following monsoon, owing to the flourishing flora that acts as a source of food. They feed on these plants and in turn, larger animals prey on them for sustenance. A world without insects is unfathomable. Even when an animal dies, it's these tiny wrigglers that help decompose the body," says Drashti Danani, a naturalist and PhD entomology student who will be leading the camp.
Shardul Bajikar, another naturalist set to lead the camp, shares, "We will be making this a holistic experience for the participants where they will not only observe insects, but also learn the techniques that zoologists use on-field to draw insects out before studying them." The entomophile tells us that insects are baited out of their homes using simple substances like sugar, salt, uric acid, and in what might evoke a sense of déjà vu in some of our readers, beer.
The wilderness works in ways that are not easy to predict, but the experts tell us that the participants are most likely to come across insects like hawk moths, dung beetles, damselflies and red silk cotton bugs among others at the two-day camp. Commenting on the ethical concerns around a camp like this, Danani reassures, "Our methods are non-intrusive. The creatures are not confined or bound as a result of any of our efforts. We are mindful about not leaving anything behind that could possibly prove to be a problem to the ecosystem."
ON November 4; 5 pm onwards
AT BNHS Conservation Education Centre, Film City, Goregaon East.
LOG ON TO @bombaynaturalhistorysociety
COST Rs 2,750
Common sailor butterfly:
Characterised by a black body with pure white markings and known for its short and shallow wing movements, it is easily spotted.
Praying mantis:
This colour-adapting bug can be spotted on plants and grass in and around the city. As these creatures wait for their next kill, their forelimbs take a praying stance. More like preying mantis, right?
Tortoise beetle:
This tiny, jewel-like beetle has adapted its forewings into a hard, shell-like protective armour and like a tortoise, protects itself
beneath it.
