For centuries, popular traditions have attributed the ability to predict the weather to insects and other small animals. A classic example is that of spiders: when they begin to build larger cobwebs, it is said that the bad weather is about to arrive. In reality, these behaviors have no scientific basis. There is no evidence that insects are able to predict weather conditions. What they do is simply adapt to seasonal changes based on very precise environmental stimuli, such as temperature, the duration of daytime light and humidity.
Insects are preparing for the change of season
Insects do not foresee time, but react to climatic changes to increase their possibilities of survival. Being cold -blooded animals, they are unable to independently adjust the body temperature. They must therefore implement different strategies to face the cold. Some species, such as the Vanessa del Cardo butterfly, migrate to warmer areas, leaving the rainy regions of the North to head to Africa. Others produce particular proteins with “antifreeze” function that prevent their fabrics from freezing during the strictest periods.
Diapause: the hibernation of insects
Most insects adopt a strategy called diapause, a sort of hibernation that allows them to overcome the coldest months by drastically slowing down every vital function. During this phase they do not feed, they do not reproduce and almost completely reduce physical activity. To cross the winter season they take refuge in repaired and dry places, which is why it is frequent to find more spiders and ladybugs inside the houses in the cold months. It is not a sudden invasion, but of a natural shelter search behavior.
Do not disappear: some species appear in autumn
The end of summer gives the impression that insects are disappearing, but it is not so. While many species migrate or enter diapause, others emerge precisely with the arrival of autumn. This is the case of the Edera Ape, very active in the months of September and October, or of the Dipulide, an insect similar to the mosquito but completely harmless. These new arrivals often surprise those who automatically associate the drop in temperatures with the disappearance of insects.
Sweet wasps: autumn behavior
Those who have a garden or flowers on the balcony easily notes the most frequent presence of wasps at the end of summer. In this period of the year they become particularly attracted to sugars and focus on the nectar of flowers. This behavior, often annoying for those who suffer them,, however, has a positive effect: the wasps contribute to the pollination going from one flower to another, just as bees do. Even insects considered “uncomfortable” therefore have a significant ecological role.
Climate that changes, behaviors that change
Climate change are changing the seasonal cycles of many insects. Migger autumn, shorter winters and sudden changes in temperature influence the migration, diapause and survival of the different species. Some insects anticipate or delay their natural cycles, others are exposed to free -season frozen that can decim them. These phenomena have chain consequences on the environment, influencing the blooms, the availability of food for other animals and the arrival of invasive species that previously could not survive in certain areas.
Insects do not foresee time, but they are natural sensors extremely sensitive to environmental changes. Their seasonal behaviors tell a lot about the ecosystem in which they live and, by observing them carefully, you can grasp the signs of the climate changes taking place long before they are evident to the naked eye.
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