OPAL Bugs Count
Crawlies aren’t creepy! Invertebrates are a fascinating and vital part of our wildlife. With the ever increasing spread of towns and cities, invertebrates are adapting to live alongside us, in and around our homes, schools and places of work. Yet we know surprising little about how the way we design our towns, houses and gardens affects the variety and abundance of the invertebrates we find there. It has never been more important to find this out, and you can help by taking part in Bugs Count!
Designed by the OPAL team at the Natural History Museum, Bugs Count is not only a fun way to discover more about invertebrates, but will also gather lots of information about the resources that our living spaces provide for them. The data generated will help research the effects that urbanisation has on the abundance and distribution of different groups of invertebrates and provide baseline information on habitat availability within the built environment.
The survey also involves collecting biological records for six species – the 2-spot Ladybird, Devil’s Coach Horse, Green Shieldbug, Leopard Slug, Small Tortoiseshell and Tree Bumblebee. Working with national schemes and societies, OPAL is targeting these species to try to add more dots to the distribution maps. Participants are encouraged to upload photos with their records for verification purposes.
Finally, participants will upload their results to the OPAL website where they can compare their results with the rest of the country and learn more about the fascinating world of invertebrates.
Find out more on the website