The small things that shape the countryside: our favourite insects

Insect Week is a celebration of insects and invertebrates. These small but mighty creatures might pass us by, but they pollinate our crops, improve our soils and help control pests too.

The upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill could be pivotal for the countryside and for the nature that calls our countryside home. Whether it’s plants, pollinators and worms, or bigger things like mice, hedgehogs and badgers, the natural world provides us with clean air, richer soils and most of the food we eat. And that’s not to mention the joy it gives us. While we desperately need a new generation of sustainable and genuinely affordable homes, these don’t need to come at the expense of nature – no matter what the big developers tell you. That’s why we’ve fully supported the Wildlife and Countryside Link’s proposed amendments to the Bill to make sure we protect the natural systems that sustain us.

As the campaign to protect nature in planning rages on, we asked CPRE staff about their favourite insects. Let’s make sure our countryside is buzzing for generations to come!

Lola

Insect Week celebrates invertebrates too and my favourite is the humble earthworm. They are absolutely everywhere beneath our feet – in cities, in the Green Belt, in the countryside. Worms are crucial to our survival and the health of our soils. They digest decomposing matter, like fallen leaves, which they then eject as worm casts, keeping the earth happy and fertile. I don’t use chemicals when gardening, mow the grass or tidy things up too much, in order to help worms and other invertebrates and insects. Interestingly I’m terrified of snakes but love worms and am a lifetime member of the Earthworm Society of Britain!

Lewis

It’s so difficult to pick a favourite. Biologist Dave Goulson has instilled a love of all insects in me. One of my favourite insects is the dragonfly, just because it feels like a bit of an underdog and I don’t think anyone else will say it.

Dragonflies are unique, and really interesting. I’ve really gotten to know them since I made a wildlife pond in my garden. They’re quite picky about where they lay their eggs, preferring clean water, so it always feels like a compliment when they choose my pond. This also makes them great ecological indicators – if there are dragonflies around, chances are the quality of the water is pretty good!

These lovely insects actually spend a lot of their lives underwater as nymphs. They’re pretty aggressive and will munch on all kinds of things, biding their time. And then, they emerge and climb up a nearby stem and wait (they like irises, sedges and reeds). Then some real magic happens. Over about three hours, they emerge as dragonflies and fly away (after their wings harden) – leaving their nymphy exoskeleton behind!

Mark

Butterflies are probably my favourite insect as they are indicators of a healthy environment and healthy ecosystems. Areas rich in butterflies and moths are rich in other invertebrates. These collectively provide a wide range of environmental benefits, including pollination and natural pest control.

Butterflies are an important element of the food chain and are prey for birds, bats and other insectivorous animals (for example, in Britain and Ireland, Blue Tits eat an estimated 50 billion moth caterpillars each year).

Butterflies also have fascinating life cycles that can be used to teach children about the natural world. The transformation from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis is one of the wonders of nature.

There are many references to butterflies in literature, from the Bible through Shakespeare to modern day literature, and from poetry to musical lyrics.

My favourites are Holly Blue and the Common Blue.

Rummena

I’ve always been fascinated by ants.

As a child, I remember being amazed when I saw one carrying a stone on its back. Later I found out that a single ant can carry up to 50 times its own bodyweight (some even say 100); that’s the equivalent of me lifting a car and strolling around with it!

More recently, I was staying in the Jordanian desert, and ants kept sneaking into the tent through tiny gaps. I’d block them off, but they always found another way in. They’re incredibly persistent, and clever. Ants communicate using pheromones to mark trails, signal danger, and alert others to food. Shrewd little things…

I won’t go on about how cool they are, but they are literal superheroes (as proven in the Ant-Man films, obviously).

Emma

There’s one insect that I’m always happy to see. They are a welcome sight in urban gardens, balconies, roadside hedges and verges, on farms, in pockets of wildlife both in urban places and the countryside. On hot days, I might spot my favourite insect seeking nectar on flowers or looking tired on a path, feeling rather like the people who go by. And we were surprised, and it turns out fortunate, that a buff tailed bumblebee Queen and fertile worker bee chose our garden to mate – apparently to create a new colony for the future!

Anna

Shield bugs are widespread in the UK. This is a Hawthorn Shield Bug, named after the tree that they feed on and their hard shield-shaped shell. They are also known as ‘stink bugs’ because they can release a rancid smell when threatened. They camouflage well but you can find them between May and October in woodland, parks and gardens, usually on hawthorn trees as well as hazel, rowan, birch and oak. There are around 200 species of shield bugs, 46 of which are found in the UK. Others include Birch Shield Bug, Common Green, Red-legged and Bronze.

Get involved with our work on planning and nature

If you want to get involved with our work on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill, why not join our mailing list? Alongside working with the Wildlife and Countryside Link and other partner organisations, we’re working on ways to make sure that the Bill protects local voices in the major planning decisions that affect their area.