Insects are the unsung heroes of the natural world. They perform baseline tasks that contribute to our existence. We tend to discover how important insects are after we have eradicated them. Causing larger domino effects to occur. 

Perhaps the most famous example is the bee’s (Apidae Family), we know due to increased exposure and a major motion picture that bees form a crucial part in most plants reproduction. The importance of our bees was unknown until it began affecting our food source, it was then that popular culture adopted the bee’s and have protested their importance. 

Two other major insect achievements are outlined below: 

• Did you know that Fruit flies have taught us a lot about genetics? 

Let me explain, Fruit flies or more specifically Drosophila melanogaster are the superstars of the genetic labs of the world. This is because they share approximately “75 per cent of the genes that cause disease in humans”. Scientists can observe fruit flies to learn about diseases and how they affect our DNA and bodies. The Fruitfly was the first successful gene mapping and provided important evidence of the Chromosome theory!

• There are insects that help us solve crime.

Insects can be helpful in solving crimes, this is because the lifecycle, eating habits and diets of certain key species are known. In the later stages of decomposition, it’s the insects that tell the story. It's nasty business but when answers need to be found the insects doing their job give us answers. The medals go to the fly family (Oestroidea) and the beetle family (Coleoptera) for their constant assistance in cleaning up.

There are thousands of other helpful insects that go unnoticed in our world and quite often it’s the jobs that no one wants to do, eating flies, cleaning up dung, serving selflessly in a colony or cleaning waterways. So next time you see an insect going about its business take a second to realise or research its purpose and through understanding, we can gain an appreciation for the work they do.