If the name seems strange and dark, know that this is the only way to tell the insects and their close relatives within six feet (Entognatha). Why, in a section devoted to the animals most bizarre and least known, to speak of a group so vast and so (relatively) familiar to the general public? In fact, I will not talk about the biology of the Hexapoda, a topic that could not be exhausted even in an entire library of specialized texts, in a pathetic post of a blog that does not follow anyone. I want to make some brief remarks on the importance of these creatures that most most people consider annoying or negligible. Of less than 2 million living species known, 900.000 (a good half) are formed only by insects (not to mention their parents and then other arthropods). The mammals are known around 5000, which means that for each there are 180 mammal species of insects, not to mention that while it is rare to discover new species of mammals, do not need any effort to discover new species of insects: just draw a white sheet between two trees in Brazil, at night, and illuminate it with a torch - the majority of insects that swarm over it will be unknown to science. This shows how in reality it is likely that the species of insects for each species mammal to be several thousand. As well as a number of species, insects far exceed other terrestrial animals as biomass. Most of the mass of living animal in the world is made up of insects (in the rainforest than any other animal of 4:1). The enormous diversity and the sheer number suggests their great importance in the ecosystem: Edward O. Wilson has estimated that if, ironically, all the insects disappear abruptly, within six months the land would become a wasteland, and consequently even the human race would come very close to extinction or become extinct altogether . All plants need insects for pollination (a large part) would be condemned extinction, and even most of those pollinated by wind and water succumb to the impoverishment of the soil, no longer stirred by insects. Animals that feed on these plants and those that feed on insects will die instantly, and so the animals that eat those animals, and others who are on top of food chains. Of all the perils we run to our ecosystem, however, certainly do not have to worry about the total disappearance of the insects, because we could not get it even using everything we have at our disposal: they are too widespread and adaptable, and tons of poisons unload on them only serve to affect the surrounding environment.
Some say that after our end of the world will be dominated by insects. I do not know if our species can never die, but that does not matter, because in fact, given the superiority of number, mass, distribution and even influence on the rest of the biosphere, is already the world of insects, it always has been since no life on land and always will until the end that awaits the fiery planet (or even beyond, if we remained fled on some other planet, we bring with us many species of beneficial insects and other parasites, we will follow anyway). If an alien civilization observe from a distance, as we would rush to build homes and grow food enjoying only a small extent, while they have millions for each fruit of our labor, exceeding in numbers many thousands in our own homes and feed their children with our food, and does not take long to figure out who are the servants and who are the masters.
Amen.
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