World News for Students of English

24-02-2025 15:00

A group of insect enthusiasts had the rare opportunity to visit the Northern Territory’s largest insect collection, located at the Berrimah Farm Science Precinct.

This collection, managed by entomologist Brian Thistleton, contains 56,000 insects carefully preserved and cataloged. Visitors saw a wide variety of specimens, including butterflies, stick insects, and spiders. The event was part of the collection’s 40th-anniversary celebration and was attended by members of the NT Field Naturalists’ Club, a group of citizen scientists who contribute to insect research. These enthusiasts play a crucial role in detecting new species and biosecurity threats. In 2023, one of them identified the arrival of the papaya mealybug in the region.

Dr. Thistleton and his team monitor the club’s Facebook group, where members share their findings. He emphasized that every specimen in the collection is a verified scientific record, helping researchers manage agricultural and environmental threats. For visitors, the experience was an exciting chance to deepen their knowledge.

Difficult words: enthusiast (a person who is very interested in a particular activity or subject), entomologist (a person who studies or is an expert on insects), biosecurity (protection against harmful biological threats).

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