Beneficial Insects Riker Mount

Teach students that all insects aren’t bad.

Assembled in this collection are beneficial insects that help keep our ecosystem running. Pollinators, perhaps the most beneficial of all insects, are represented by the bumblebee and honeybee. Species predacious on insect pests include the dragonfly, praying mantis, tiger beetle, damselfly, and lady beetle. A carrion beetle, an important scavenger of dead and decaying matter is included. The mount also features insects that are invaluable to aquatic food chains: the water boatman and caddisfly larva. The caddisfly is also an indicator of pollution levels.