Two-day pollination workshop for Hopetoun entomology enthusiasts

The Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show and Ravensthorpe Community Resource Centre had a National Science Week event at the weekend centred on the interaction between insects and flowers.

Entomologist Dr Sue Jaggar led an excursion to the Ravensthorpe Range where a group of attendees aged five to 75 spent a few hours searching the bush for insects and discussing their discoveries.

The excursion included learning how trigger plants achieve pollination, the importance of flies in pollination, the colour preferences of different pollinators, and much more.

While in the bush, Dr Jagger also showed the group how to search for insects which live among the leaf litter.

Dr Jagger said the children in the group were good at finding insects.

“It was great to see young people so interested and excited,” she said.

“There was very little wind and it was nice and sunny so it was good weather for insects but we only found one pollinator. If we fast-forward two weeks there will be pollinators everywhere.”

The group returned to the Ravensthorpe Regional Herbarium for a microscope session where the finds of the morning could be investigated more closely.

On Saturday evening, Dr Jaggar set up light traps in the bush to attract night-flying insects so attendees were treated to a new group of insects of different types, shapes, sizes and colours to admire.

To close out the two-day workshop, Dr Jaggar delivered an informative presentation on the role of native bees and flies in pollination and the biological control of pests.

Rosemary Jasper — a member of the Ravensthorpe Wildflower Show & Herbarium Group, the manager of the Ravensthorpe Regional Herbarium, and one of the organisers for the event — said: “Most of us know little about insects and their role in our world, and this event while only scratching the surface of what is to be known, provided an intriguing and very engaging introduction for those who took part.”

Twenty-five people were involved across the weekend’s activities as part of the two-day workshop on pollination.

Dr Jaggar conducted postgraduate research on the efficiency and effectiveness of pollinators on mango fruit.

“I mapped the diversity of pollinators, and the amount of pollen they transferred each time they visited a mango flower,” she said.

“My PhD looked at biological control agents, I studied the interactions of two native wasps and a mirid bug in the control of whiteflies on tomato plants.

“After the completion of my studies I worked in Loxton, SA with a company that produced insects for biological control of pests.

“I then moved to WA to work with the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development to work on a project that is assessing the potential of using flies (diptera) for pollination of crops.

“Although my research has been with agricultural crops I am interested in pollination of our native species, and so spend a lot of time photographing native bees and other pollinators.”

This event was made possible with a grant for National Science Week through Inspiring Australia WA.