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Take a look through the magnifying glass into the world of the little guys, the workhorses of the world who keep every ecosystem afloat: the insects. They come in many sizes and shapes, but all have their own secrets to tell. We will be talking about their development, reproduction and abundance as well as appreciating just how many little creatures share our world with us!
The amazing arthropods of Attenborough
Tim Sexton
(Assistant manager at Attenborough Nature Reserve)
Tim has been involved with Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust at the Attenborough Nature Reserve for 13 years and, in his spare time, he is devoted to recording wildlife there. While Attenborough is best known for its wetland birds, Tim’s main interest is in its smaller inhabitants and, as a keen photographer, Tim takes great pleasure in bringing some of these to the public eye. In his talk, Tim will focus on the importance of willow trees and the many hundreds of insect species they support.
The development of insects on the roll of a dice
Tom Hartman
(Teaching Associate)
When you go to a beetle drive a dice decides which part of the insect you can assemble. Animals are built in a planned way; their development is like a series of dominoes falling in sequence. Sometimes this goes wrong and through watching these malfunctions the whole world of animal patterning emerges. Tom is a lecturer in taxonomy and physiology as well as being the keeper of the zoology collection at the University of Nottingham and will be sharing a little about the way insects are built in such a precise way. Also catch him at our Creative Reactions event, #ScienceSuperstars on 15th May!
Lovers and fighters: cockroaches employ different strategies in the mating game
Dr. Kate Durrant
(Lecturer in Behavioural Ecology)
The competition to survive includes the competition to reproduce. While most females will be successful in being selected as a mate, males often face challenges in their own quest. How does a male invest in his behaviour and physiology to allow him to mate successfully? Dr Kate Durrant is a behavioural ecologist interested in such questions, studying the behaviour and physiology of insects and birds to find answers. She will be talking about her research on Giant hissing cockroaches: what makes a male successful in the mating game? Should he be a lover or fighter? Can he be both?
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