Science – Frankfurt am Main – black-necked camel-neck fly will be insect of the year 2022 – knowledge
Frankfurt / Main (dpa) – It has a remarkably long neck and crystal-clear wings – the black-necked camel-neck fly (Venustoraphidia nigricollis) will be the “insect of the year 2022” https://www.sueddeutsche.de/wissen/. “This was true for a long time Species as one of the rarest camel neck flies – until it was recognized that. The adult animals with the characteristic black pronotum predominantly stay in the canopy of trees “, together with Thomas Schm, director of the Senckenberg German Entomological Institute in Müncheberg and chairman of the board of trustees, on Monday at the presentation of the insect of the year.
In any case, the six to 15 millimeter tall camel neck flies (Raphidioptera) are considered to be the poorest species of insects. Only about 250 species of camel neck flies are known worldwide, said Schmitt. “In Central Europe there are 16 species described so far – one of them is our Insect of the Year.” It was completely different at the time of the dinosaurs: From fossil finds it can be deduced that dying insects occurred in significantly greater variety at that time.
A special example of the occurrence of camel neck flies is the information in the center of Vienna: Surrounded by roaring traffic, two species of camel neck flies are standing in the pine trees on Maria-Theresien-Platz in the Austrian capital.
The annual mass occurrence of slim insects around a centuries-old farm in Upper Austria is unique worldwide, the scientist reported. At an altitude of 800 meters, an art brought in from the Mediterranean area has settled here, the sexually mature animals of which can be observed in large numbers every year during the mating season from May to July.
The insect of the year has been announced several times since 1999. The campaign aims to draw attention to the uses and threats to the species. This year the Danish mayfly (Ephemera danica) is the insect of the year.
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