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At home in the world of insects
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`Poochi' Venkataraaman, who has been studying and photographing insects for years, believes that insects should be included in the efforts to conserve the environment.
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IF VENKATARAAMAN were to write about a memorable experience, he would choose this. Years ago his mother wanted him to fetch an old wooden box from the attic. He opened the box to find a million cockroaches using it as a nursery. "Right," he said to himself, "I'll take them on a field trip."He emptied the box in the backyard and stood on the doorstep to watch. As the roaches began to scurry away, out came a dozen garden lizards from their hideouts and swiftly snapped up most of the creatures.
The episode got Venkataraaman thinking. "Where were the lizards hiding? Are cockroaches their only food? How do cockroaches survive house lizards?" He began to look for answers.
Insects became Venkataraaman's instant passion. A sound understanding of physics found him assembling audio equipment. Aero-modelling followed and then astronomy. His imagination and talent led him to design circuits, brochures and posters. His love for photography exposed him to hiking.
National and international organisations invited him for photo documentation. He is a life member of astro and Nature clubs of many descriptions. But his passion for insects remained. It is evident in the form of a massive collection of insect slides. And in the `Poochi' attached to his name by the Guindy National Park authorities.
As a member of the Exnora Naturalists Club, he often took children to Guindy Park. The wildlife warden got him to do a study of the park spiders. Subsequently, he prepared a complete report of the insects and arachnids in the park. The facts are there in the huge posters he put up in the children's section."We talk about preserving elephants, tigers, crocodiles and birds — animals that we see. Should nothing else survive? When we see an insect we hit it and then ask questions," he says. "Why are insects not part of environment conservation?"
He explains that insects form the backbone of the eco-pyramid. When a tree falls, termites break it up for natural degradation and absorption in soil. Beetles eat aphids that harm plants. Insects help in pollination. They are food for birds in the chain. Monkeys eat spiders. Insects survive anywhere — from the Sahara Desert to the Silent Valley rain forest.
The Namibian desert beetle lifts its back and drinks the dew flowing down its waterproof coating... the examples are many to prove his point that conservation efforts for insects are also necessary. "There are two and a half million insects in the Amazon region alone that have not been catalogued. They are experts at camouflage. You will never get bored studying them."
And he's full of fascinating facts. You can learn to tell a butterfly from a moth by its antennae — butterflies have bulbed antennae, while moths have feathered ones.
Being at the bottom of the pile isn't easy. So insects have developed a variety of nasty defence mechanisms. A millipede drops an indelible liquid on the skin to say `Keep off!' Beetles have bright colours so birds can identify them as unpalatable.
To him, even the creepy-crawlies that bug you at home are interesting and should be observed. A centipede's bite is toxic. Chase it till it is tired, slip it into a plastic bag and let it out in the garden. They make a good meal for lizards. He takes up the case of the cockroach. "They are not toxic by themselves. They are nomadic and carry bacteria and viruses from drains. Leave them alone. The forest cockroach lives on smaller insects and disintegrated leaf."
He doesn't even pause for breath as he talks about the bombardier beetle that sprays a hot and toxic liquid, the Saturnid moth that has markings like the moon, the long-horned beetle whose feelers are as long as its body, the sun spider with rolling eyes on the turret, the sticky-fingered tree frog, the barely distinguishable bark bug and colourful caterpillars are all floating in the air. Every one of them released with a photograph and a story.
"The Guindy Park is a paradise for insects," he says. "Take a walk there. Turn up the leaves. Look for the extraordinary within the ordinary." He stops mid-sentence. "Can you hear it?" he whispers. "A cricket is chirping." All you can hear is the yell of the cricket fans. He believes that biology should be taught in the field, so that kids understand the details better.
And his parting advice is "If you are planting trees choose those that are butterfly-friendly. Did you notice these beautiful creatures have vanished from our surroundings?" `Poochi' Venkataraaman can be contacted at 98401-25053.
GEETA PADMANABHAN
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