Baby, you’re an arthropod!

Tony from naturestimeline.com mentioned in a comment that we need to appreciate the crawling critters more – not just because they’re beautiful, although they are, but because they’re play a vital role in maintaining life on earth.

Dragonflies, for instance, are predators that eat mosquitoes, flies, wasps, and other small insects. The humble dung beetle, although often unlovely, eats dung, saving us from becoming knee-deep in the stuff. Worms aerate the soil, as do other subterranean creatures, while bees and other insects pollinate crops, and other insects perform various other tasks necessary for a healthy ecosystem.

But if you’re still having trouble with the appreciation part, help is at hand: the ‘singing zoologist’ Lucas Miller has created an amusing paean to arthropods everywhere, with “Baby You’re An Arthropod“. Thanks to Pip Marks for the heads-up on this little video: if you’ve always wanted to see a large dancing cockroach, this is probably your only chance.

Update: if you want a simple summary, here’s why we need insects.

[Feature image: Yellow-winged darter dragonfly. Image by André Karwath aka Aka, licensed under Creative Commons 2.5]