Initial Thoughts on Insects

January 3, 2014
Until high school I always believed that insects were disgusting creatures that were full of diseases and different bacteria. My reaction was always to get rid of them: squish them with a shoe, pick them up in a kleenex, and flush them down the toilet. They were creatures to be avoided. They always crawled around, hid in the darkest places, and would show up at the most inopportune moments. Every moment was inopportune because no one wanted these foul creatures around; they were disgusting. Some films like The Bugs Life portrayed the innocence of these creatures, while other films such as Spider portrayed the arachnids and similar creatures as dangerous and repulsive. Of course the scarier movie had the most significant impact on my perception on insects. When I was in the seventh grade, one of my teachers, Ms. Jamie Beale, used to actually eat insects. She would bake breads that contained larvae, mill worms, and other such creatures. She said eating insects was a great source of protein, and she had absolutely no problem eating them. I thought to myself that I would never eat such a creature not just because it is disgusting, but also because I couldn't get over the texture of chewing through their exoskeletons. Following middle school, my high school years brought to some degree of studying insects. Going into high school, I maintained the same stereotypical mindset on insects. During my high school years, I took two biology classes, and one of my teachers graduated with an entomology degree. He taught us evolutionary standpoints during AP Biology, and when I learned about insects in that perspective a new appreciation developed. At the end of one of my biology classes, we had to complete an insect collection of ten bugs. Specifically, I remember catching my lunar moth for that project. When someone thinks of a moth most people probably think of the little brown nuisances that arrive when they have their back porch lights on. However, this moth is completely different; they are much larger than those regular moths, and these creatures are beautiful in color. They glow with a fluorescent green that is amazing to just see and watch. After completing my insect collection, I matured a little in the handling of insects and my maturity grew in my mind as well. I wasn't as afraid of insects as I was, but I still found some creatures repulsive. Going out catching and discovering these bugs made me realize their innocence, most mean no harm at all, but are only competing to survive within their niche. Insects are remarkable, relative to their size; the fact that insects have been around countless centuries is amazing. They have not biologically gone extinct, but keep evolving to be more adapt to the environment. These species have dominated earth, and due to this and their ability to adapt, appreciation is in order for such biological success. Nonetheless, some species of insects are still abhorrent such as the cockroach, but most are seemingly harmless creatures and I learned to appreciate their successful presence on earth. Throughout the upcoming entomology course, I hope to learn more about insects so that I can appreciate them even more than I already do in their evolutionary aspect.