The project outlined in this special supplement to Vol. 3, No. 6 of Midwest Biological Control News, developed by Dr. Susan Mahr of the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin, is designed to teach children about one of the natural interactions that occur among living organisms insect parasitism, a type of interaction that has tremendous benefit for people. Of all the different types of insects in the world, very few are pests of humans, our crops, or our possessions. The majority of insects really have very little direct impact, either positive or negative, on people. But a substantial percentage are actually beneficial.
Insects produce useful products such as honey, silk, dyes, and pharmaceuticals.
Others provide important services, such as the various bees that pollinate our crops. And still others provide benefits that are less obvious, but still important, such as recycling nutrients and serving as food for fish, song birds, and other wildlife. But probably the single most important service provided by insects is that many feed on other insects and, in so doing, reduce the numbers of pests that attack our crops, forests and gardens. Indeed, the study of insects feeding on other insects is a wonderful example of the balances that occur in nature. Such study also provides insight into how important other organisms are for our own well-being.