Australia’s mild start to summer has set the stage for a bumper insect season, much to the delight of entomologists and dismay of my mother. Kris Messenger, a founder of Bugs n Slugs, has shared some insights into the sudden surge in the insect population.
According to Messenger, the milder temperatures and increased moisture levels create an ideal breeding environment for various insects and other invertebrates. This weather pattern allows juvenile spiders, which typically hatch in the beginning of spring, to survive in greater numbers than during hotter early summers. “A lot of spiders hatch at the beginning of spring, and if it’s immediately hot, many of the juvenile spiders fail to thrive. But mild temperatures and lots of water have helped them survive in reasonable numbers,” she explains.
Messenger reports that spiders are not the only species thriving under these conditions. Dragonflies are also expected to be seen in abundance as the summer progresses. “We’re not seeing it yet, but they’ll start to appear as we move into summer and into late January and February, there should be a lot around,” she says.
Ladybugs, however, are responding slightly differently to the climatic changes. In South Australia, massive aggregations of lady beetles have been reported. Contrary to the misinformation spread on social media, these are not predominantly invasive species. “In fact, they’re nearly all good lady beetles,” Messenger clarifies. She also notes that these aggregations often occur in response to sudden temperature changes, providing a refuge from extreme heat or cold.
In the midst of these common sightings, we’re also about to head into Christmas beetle season, however some confusion persists around the identification of Christmas beetles. Messenger says that many South Australians mistakenly identify Argentine scarab beetles, an introduced species harmful to lawns, as Christmas beetles. “People send Bugs n Slugs dozens of messages, saying they’ve spotted Christmas beetles, but 9 times out of 10 it’s an Argentine scarab beetle,” she remarks. The main differentiator is size; true Christmas beetles are generally larger than 1.5cm in length and more than 1cm wide.
For those keen to contribute to scientific knowledge of Christmas beetles, Messenger suggests participating in the Christmas Beetle Count by uploading photographs to the iNaturalist app, where the community helps verify the species.
The conditions we’re seeing at the moment which are conducive to insect breeding, are also perfect for mosquitoes, which Messenger predicts will soon see a population boom. “Essentially, when you add water to a traditionally arid time of year but you still have the warmth, the moisture starts some invertebrates breeding early, and keeps some invertebrates breeding past their regular range,” she concludes.
This season, it appears both insect enthusiasts and the general population should prepare for an unusually active period for local insect life, spurring both appreciation for nature’s diversity and the need for management in residential areas.
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