So much of the time we humans look upon insects as pests. But as Don and Yael discuss in this Moment of Science, a world without them might not be as nice as we might think.
D: Gotcha! Isn't it enough that
termites2 are eating my house and
fleas3 are feeding on my dog? Do we really need flies in the studio too? Darned
bugs4! Who needs them! A world without insects would be perfect. Just imagine, Yael. Sunday picnics without ants! Apples without worms--
Y: But Don, without insects there wouldn't be any apples.
D: What? Why?
Y: Well, many insects function as pollinators, and many plants rely on them for help with reproduction. Without insects, you'd eliminate certain kinds of fruits and vegetables, and that might make it difficult to put together a picnic lunch. And of course, you'd also miss out on insect products like honey or silk.
D: That's okay with me, Yael. After all, insects didn't begin to play a major role in
pollination5 until about sixty-five million years ago, and plants have been around for about three hundred million years. There would still be plenty of plants, like grass and grains, that are pollinated by the wind. So if there were no insects, I'd just eat lots of
cereal6 and plenty of steak.
Y: That might work for you, but what about the animals that live directly off insects, or off plants that are pollinated by insects? Those animals would starve to death, which means that the animals that eat them would starve as well. In other words, some parts of the food chain would
collapse7, and life as we know it would change dramatically. The fact is, Don, that we need insects a lot more than they need us. Plus, wouldn't you miss butterflies? And roses? And apple pie?
D: Mmm! I love apple pie!
Y: I knew you'd come around!
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