From fireflies that lit up the night to antlions known locally as kokroko, familiar insects appear to be disappearing from some Ghanaians’ everyday experiences. Scientists say understanding what is happening, and why, is an important first step towards protecting insect life.
For many Ghanaians, childhood memories of the outdoors include tiny lights flickering through the darkness as fireflies moved across the night, and small, funnel-shaped pits in sandy ground where antlions, locally known as kokroko, lay in wait for their prey.
These encounters were once familiar sights for some people. Today, however, some Ghanaians say they rarely see these insects, raising questions about whether their populations are declining and what might explain their apparent disappearance.
While these observations do not, on their own, establish a nationwide decline, they point to a question worth investigating: what has happened to the insects that once formed part of everyday life in many communities?
During an interview conducted as part of my UKmeet Fellowship, Dr Lawrencia Osae-Nyarko, a researcher at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Ghana, raised concerns about declining insect populations and identified chemical spraying as a possible contributing factor.
Her concerns draw attention to a wider environmental question: could some of the chemicals used to protect crops also be affecting insects that play important roles in sustaining ecosystems?
Beyond the disappearance of familiar insects
Insects are often overlooked in conversations about environmental protection, but their contributions extend well beyond the immediate surroundings in which they are found.
Some insects help pollinate plants, recycle nutrients and maintain soil health. Others provide natural pest control by feeding on organisms that damage crops. Insects also serve as food for birds, reptiles and other animals, making them an important part of wider food webs.
Fireflies are known for their bioluminescence, the natural process that allows them to produce light. Depending on the species, this ability plays a role in attracting mates and communicating.
Antlions, meanwhile, are predators whose larvae often construct distinctive funnel-shaped pits in loose sand to trap small insects. They contribute to the natural regulation of insect populations.
A reduction in the populations of particular species could therefore have consequences beyond the loss of familiar sights and childhood memories.
However, the extent of any decline in Ghana’s firefly and antlion populations remains a question that requires systematic investigation.
Could chemical spraying be part of the problem?
Pesticides are widely used to protect crops against insects and other organisms that threaten agricultural production. When applied appropriately, they can help farmers manage pests and reduce crop losses.
But some pesticides can also affect non-target organisms, including insects that are not responsible for crop damage.
The effects depend on factors such as the chemical used, its concentration, how frequently it is applied, the method of application and the organisms exposed.
Chemical spraying is therefore one possible factor to investigate when examining reports of declining insect populations. Other potential contributors include habitat loss, urbanisation, changes in land use, pollution and changes in environmental conditions.
Establishing whether any of these factors is responsible for changes in firefly or antlion populations in Ghana would require evidence from field observations and scientific research.
Dr Osae-Nyarko’s concerns raise an important starting point, but determining the scale of the problem and its causes will require more than personal recollections.
Finding answers through science
Understanding what is happening to Ghana’s insects will require researchers to establish a reliable picture of their populations and distribution.
Regular insect surveys across different locations could help determine which species are present, where they occur and whether their numbers are changing over time.
Researchers could also investigate the relationship between pesticide use and insect populations by examining the chemicals used in different settings, their application patterns and their potential effects on non-target species.
Such work could help distinguish the effects of chemical exposure from those of habitat changes and other environmental pressures.
Where pesticide use is found to pose risks to beneficial insects, practical alternatives may include integrated pest management. This approach combines different methods of controlling crop pests, including monitoring pest populations, using biological controls and applying chemical treatments selectively when necessary.
The objective is not to eliminate the use of pesticides altogether, but to manage pests while reducing unnecessary harm to other organisms.
Farmers, researchers, environmental authorities and communities could all contribute to efforts to understand and protect insect populations.
A question worth answering
For those who remember fireflies illuminating the night or discovering kokroko pits in sandy patches, the question of where these insects have gone carries a personal significance.
Yet the issue extends beyond nostalgia. It raises questions about the health of the environments in which people live, grow food and interact with nature.
The first step is to establish whether these insects are declining, identify the areas and species affected, and investigate the factors that may be contributing to any changes.
That evidence could then guide decisions on pesticide use, habitat protection and other measures to conserve insect diversity.
Can science help explain what has happened to Ghana’s fireflies and antlions, and identify ways to protect them before they become increasingly rare sights?
Answering that question begins with paying attention to the small creatures around us and taking seriously what their presence, or apparent absence, might tell us about the environment.