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Soil and Insects

Insects come in many forms, some loveable and some that appear grotesque, disgusting or frightening to us. Our world depends on many processes and insects are part of the cycle of growth and decay. When you find an insect somewhere, it is there for a reason. If you don't want the insects in a particular place, if you know the reason they are there, for example they are helping a piece of wood to decay into soil, you may be able to change the situation and the insects will move themselves. Knowing a bit about them is the first step. Here is some food for thought¹ ...

• Over one million species of insects have been discovered and described but it is estimated that there may be as many as 10 million species on earth.
• Insects have been around for more than 350 million years, longer than the dinosaurs and flowering plants.
• Scientists estimate that insects make up to 90% of all species of animals on the planet and more than half of all living things.

There are approximately 1.4 billion insects for every person on Earth. The total weight of all the insects is about 70 times more than all the people.

Insects can be fascinating, and children are often wowed when they see them magnified.

Royal Entomological Society Insect Identification Service

Each year the Royal Entomological Society receives thousands of requests for help with insect identification through their insect identification service.

Their downloadable 'Intriguing Insects' miniguide contains pictures and information on a few of the most commonly asked about insects.

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Page last modified: 04 Dec 2022, 20:15