Bug brigade gears up for insect count

Members of the Big Island bug brigade — aka the folks who host the annual Big Island Insect Count — are gearing up for the yearly big field trip in Volcano.

“Begun in 2004, the Insect Count has been a great way to encourage the Big Island community in fostering an interest in entomology. It presents an opportunity to collect insects along Escape Road and to hear lectures,” said coordinator Rob Hollingsworth. “And, you get a free bento lunch.”

This year’s fun and educational Hawaiian Entomological Society event will be staged from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Nov. 3 on Escape Road in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

Hollingsworth will give a talk on “Fungi as natural control agents for insects.” For more information, call him at 808-557-4692.

From 10 a.m.-noon, participants will help scientists collect insects near Thurston Lava Tube. At 12:30 p.m., Hollingsworth will present his slide show. Insects will be viewed through microscopes and pinned specimens will be on display.

Space is limited, and it’s important to sign up in advance. To register for the event, please call Hollingsworth or send him an email at hilo.rob@gmail.com. Visit www.hawaiianentsoc.org.

The annual fall Big Island Insect Count has a dual purpose:

1. To make the public more aware and appreciative of the ecological importance of insects, and

2. To improve the inventory of native and introduced species in the vicinity of the national park.

Each event features a collecting hike and frequently includes slide shows of native insects as well as demonstrations of living and preserved specimens.

About half of the participants are school-age children, and HES entomologists from the Big Island and Oahu serve as guides, helping participants find and identify the insects they are photographing and collecting.