Studying forest insects is a formidable challenge. Insects are all too often a mystery to find, even when they’re ubiquitous. Aside from their small size and seasonal ebb-and-flow of activity, they might hide in the duff, under bark, wrapped in or under leaves, or overhead in tree canopies. In response, our curious and creative nature takes over as we rise to the challenge in six archetypal investigations.
The format of redundant, yet classic plotlines in movies and fiction is a playful way to narrate these six familiar types of studies. All six forest entomology plotlines are often fraught with false leads, no-shows, indirect answers, speculation, and a never-ending search for answers. A wild, humbling journey of discovery – it’s usually a good time! What follows is a dramatized blow-by-blow of best-case scenarios for all six plotlines.
1. The uncharted natural history of a little-known, emergent problem insect
Exposition: Does it have a name? (i.e., Can we even identify this thing?!)
Rising action: Questions abound amidst scraps of knowledge, such as: Where can we find it? What trees and tree organs does it eat? How long does it take to reach adulthood? Where does it spend the winter? When is it out and about?
Climax: We successfully identify a plausible niche! And if we’re lucky, we identify its friends and foes.
Falling action: Much remains undiscovered about this new critter, but we are starting to understand how it makes a living.
Resolution: We’ve made headway in piecing together its life story. A sequel is clearly forthcoming.
2. Insect activity on small and grand scales alike
Exposition: What insect is involved? Is it indigenous, a naturalized resident, or an unwanted alien?
Rising action: Questions arise, many relating to the scale of tree damage and how to measure it. How do we count them or equate amount and type of damage to insect numbers? What trees are affected? Are trees only maimed or are they dying? Is the damage local, regional, scattered, contiguous, light, severe? And does the level of damage vary over space and time?
Climax: We found a sufficient way to estimate the amount of damage! We present the damage report. It may involve a creative mechanical technique or…pause for requisite amount of awe…a sophisticated technology.
Falling action: The damage report is either typical of past damage reports or unprecedented, which probably relates to unique or changing aspects of the biological or physical environment.
Resolution: Regardless of the level of damage or the amount of surprise in our minds, we must continue the investigation in search of more insect activity. We need answers.
3. Habitability of foreign or newly colonized lands
Exposition: A foreign or domestic invader threat has been identified.
Rising action: We may have located the invader, but we probably don’t yet know the extent of occupation. We must know what habitats it will infiltrate. A fury of lab tests, models, and scouring of foreign or old literature ensues. We catalog trees it will eat and where they grow, other flora and fauna that might combat it or be snuffed out by it, and temperatures in which it will succumb, survive, and thrive.
Climax: TADA! We construct a beautifully detailed map of places we think it will eventually occupy!
Falling action: Although very useful, this map is accompanied by much uncertainty. Climate change most certainly compounds this uncertainty.
Resolution: We must continue to map, model, and watch the invader in the face of this uncertainty. Its whereabouts must be known.
4. The search for efficient killers or the mystery of their absence
Exposition: An insect has – or has the potential to cause enough damage to be of concern.
Rising action: This insect isn’t a constant problem, so something exists that has the power to keep its numbers in check. To find out, we must figure out what in its environment is different, maybe both in space and time. We exhaustively examine the identities, characteristics, and activities of fauna that eats this insect, as well as the trees that it eats.
Climax: A robust killer (or two!!) is identified! We might have also discovered why that most powerful killer became an absentee or what prevented it from obliterating the insect of concern.
Falling action: We debate at length strategies to reinstate or enhance the killer’s modus operandi or its numbers.
Resolution: The best strategy is settled upon and advised. Obviously, more investigation is needed to see that the killer is effective over space and time.
5. Attract or detract: smells to entice insects here or there
Exposition: We suspect that smells can direct a particular insect’s movements. These scents could be made by other insects or potential mates, or even trees that it eats.
Rising action: Once we discover what smells attract or repel the insect, we hope to track or manipulate its movements or numbers. Can we find it in a new place? If so, can we coax it en masse? Or, can we lure it away from precious trees?
Climax: Mission accomplished! We successfully identified and synthesized the secret-scent-weapon! And we used it to manipulate the target insect!
Falling action: Now, we consider in great detail what situations this smell-weapon will be useful.
Resolution: Even though the smell-weapon works, it could work better, so more tests will be necessary.
6. Control! Control! We need a strategy for control!
Exposition: An insect is causing rampant damage to trees we deem worth protecting.
Rising action: We initiate the search for vulnerabilities in its life story, simultaneously tapping our creative juices to devise a tool to target it just at its weakest moment. The solution could be a single tool or a sophisticated set of mitigations; regardless of the tactic, we must also find out how it affects other critters and plants in the forest.
Climax: Success! We’ve created a formidable tool to control the damages caused by this problem insect. Maybe we’ve even developed a constructive, compatible or synergistic arsenal of tools to be used in concert or in various situations.
Falling action: Our clever solution for control is probably not fail-proof, so we consider those situations in which it will thrive vs. fail to attain control of the problem insect. We advise how we might adjust the tool’s strength, timing, or method of use for different situations.
Resolution: Despite our success in developing this awesome tool, there are no doubt improvements that could be made to it. More investigations will be necessary to perfect it.
science shapes lives 