Sydney, Millions of people worldwide watched as the Sydney Olympics came to a close in 2000. Meanwhile, thousands of bogong moths were airborne, making their annual migration to the Australian Alps.
Numbers fell by 99 per cent between 2017 and 2019 alone. Because of habitat destruction, tragically, Christmas beetles have become rarer in recent decades, possibly.
This means the public may be completely unaware of their decline, a concept known as “shifting baseline syndrome”. The current resurgence offers scientists valuable information about the health and abundance of the bogong moth population. But they aren’t the only insects worth watching. In recent decades, the bogong moth population has dramatically declined. Like many other insects, bogong moths face multiple pressures including habitat destruction, drought and climate change. Light pollution may also hamper their ability to navigate during their mammoth migrations. But this year, bogong moths have reappeared in remarkable numbers, particularly on the east coast of Australia. Two years of high rainfall have likely boosted the population by creating ideal breeding and feeding conditions. Strong winds may have also knocked the moths off course, causing them to congregate in and around Sydney. Many of us, myself included, have never witnessed bogong moths gather in such numbers. This is the idea that what younger generations understand to be a healthy natural environment is based on their own observations. This matters for conservation. Knowing if an insect is thriving, stable or in decline can shape how much younger generations care about its survival. Once they understand these trends, we can teach them to observe and appreciate these creatures in everyday life. Citizen scientists have collected vital data about Christmas beetles . Across eastern Australia, these vibrant-hued critters used to emerge in their millions around December, just in time for Christmas. Australia has no formal Christmas beetle monitoring program, so citizen scientists are helping researchers monitor the health of our surviving Christmas beetle populations. Citizen science has also been crucial to the discovery of new stick insect species and even an unknown type of spider, found by someone appreciating the wildlife on their bin. You can also help monitor insect populations by taking photos of any insects you spot. If you see any bogong moths, you can upload them to Moth Tracker or iNaturalist. These online platforms help scientists monitor their population and track their migrations.
