{"id":100900,"date":"2025-03-03T19:53:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T14:23:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=100900"},"modified":"2025-03-03T19:53:12","modified_gmt":"2025-03-03T14:23:12","slug":"why-do-only-butterflies-and-ladybirds-get-all-the-love-in-the-insect-world-asks-entomologist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/?p=100900","title":{"rendered":"Why do only butterflies and ladybirds get all the love in the insect world, asks entomologist"},"content":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar : Butterflies and ladybirds generally get all the love from humankind, while a chronic lack of awareness about the significance of insects to ecology in general leads to the rest of the entomological world\u2014including bees\u2014being deemed villainous, says Pia Krishen, educator and entomology enthusiast, underscoring the importance of bees and other insects to the earth\u2019s ecosystem.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cType \u2018insect\u2019 into Google, and the first thing you\u2019ll see is how to kill them… It\u2019s a travesty. Insects are the most important creatures on this planet,” said Krishen, who was speaking recently at the Museum of Goa\u2019s \u2018MOG Sundays\u2019 lecture series on The Journey Into The Insect World.<\/p>\n

Krishen has spent years studying insects. Now based in Goa, she is on a mission to transform the way people perceive them, emphasise their ecological importance, and highlight the urgent need to protect them.<\/p>\n

“We are conditioned to like butterflies and ladybirds. They\u2019re the poster children of the insect world. However, we are trained to hate other insects,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Among the many fascinating insects Krishen has encountered, the dead leaf mantis stands out for its remarkable camouflage and predatory efficiency. But it\u2019s the misunderstood water scorpion that has left a lasting impression on her. \u201cIt looks terrifying, but it\u2019s harmless to humans. The name itself creates fear where none is needed,\u201d she explains. Language, she believes, plays a significant role in shaping our biases against insects.<\/p>\n

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ADVT Viva Carnaval 2025 from 1st to 4th March across Goa! Get ready for dazzling parades, music, and pure joy!<\/p><\/div>\n

She also pointed out that Goa\u2019s insect population is under increasing threat. Unchecked construction, habitat destruction, and the disappearance of native species have put immense pressure on these small but crucial creatures. Dragonflies, which depend on freshwater ecosystems, are vanishing as Goan wetlands continue to shrink. Termites, often dismissed as pests, play a key role in maintaining soil health and nutrient cycles.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf insects go, we go,\u201d Krishen warns, highlighting their role as pollinators and the foundation of the food chain. She expresses concern about an impending ecological crisis known as the \u2018insect apocalypse,\u2019 driven by habitat loss, pesticide use, climate change, and pollution.<\/p>\n

As an educator, Krishen is passionate about bridging the gap between science and public understanding. \u201cChildren are naturally curious about insects, but that curiosity gets crushed as they grow older. I hope adults can reclaim that sense of wonder,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Krishen also drew attention to broader conservation issues, particularly the ecological impact of large-scale infrastructure projects in ecologically fragile locations like the Mollem forests in Goa.<\/p>\n

\u201cBiodiversity conservation isn\u2019t just about protecting one animal or one tree\u2014it\u2019s about maintaining entire habitats,\u201d she says. \u201cGoa is more than just beaches and nightlife. Its biodiversity is invaluable, and we must protect it,\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Goa Khabar : Butterflies and ladybirds generally get all the love from humankind, while a chronic lack of awareness about the significance of insects to ecology in general leads to the rest of the entomological world\u2014including bees\u2014being deemed villainous, says Pia Krishen, educator and entomology enthusiast, underscoring the importance of bees and other insects to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25169,"featured_media":100901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,155],"tags":[3794],"class_list":["post-100900","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-6","category-155","tag-featured"],"read":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100900","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/25169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=100900"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100900\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100902,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100900\/revisions\/100902"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/100901"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=100900"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=100900"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=100900"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}