Dragonflies
The word “Dragonfly” is a wide term used for insects in the order Odonata, which encompasses both the Damselflies and Dragonflies. True Dragonflies have their own distinct suborder Anisoptera (meaning “unequal wings”).
Understanding why insects are important to us in our everyday lives
The word “Dragonfly” is a wide term used for insects in the order Odonata, which encompasses both the Damselflies and Dragonflies. True Dragonflies have their own distinct suborder Anisoptera (meaning “unequal wings”).
On a warm and dry day, the rhythmic ‘chirps’ of grasshoppers can be a familiar sound from Irish grasslands, meadows or roadsides. The ‘songs’ that these insects produce are a fundamental aspect of the Irish summer and an essential part of the ecosystem functioning.
And why do they keep crashing into my kitchen window?
The Cockchafer has many different names – May bug, June bug, billy witch and doodle bug among others (as Gaeilge: cearnamhán nó priompallán samhraidh).
Insects play critical roles in our lives. Often under-appreciated and viewed by some as a nuisance, insects are “lever pullers of the world”. These tiny animals are fundamental for a healthy ecosystem, yet they are underappreciated, understudied and rarely considered in conservation.