These insects aren’t bugs

You may have zipped past this institute on Bellary Road. Not even given it a second look. Inside is a mysterious world of insects. From the Himalayas to the Andamans, and some even from other countries, insects here are carefully documented in a controlled atmosphere.
Step into one of the research labs, and the strong odour of camphor takes you by surprise.You would have to squeeze yourself between the rows of lockers as the official in charge opens some of them and shows you their fascinating contents — insects of all shapes, sizes and colours, 1 lakh of them. Most of these preserved insects are still not identified by the human race.
The insects are preserved so beautifully that they look almost real, and are stored with their family name and habitat. The National Bureau of Agriculturally Important Insects, which comes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, does breakthrough research on six-legged creatures and their biological facets. It collects, characterizes, documents, exchanges and utilizes insects to help the farmer and his livelihood.
The institute’s collection dates back to the 1950s, and might soon be turned into a national depository of insects. The camphor, says institute director Dr NK Krishna Kumar, is to keep away live insects, which might feed on the preserved ones.
“We work on insects that create a direct loss to crops, spread diseases and are beneficial to us. As 75% of the animal kingdom comprises insects , they are one of the most vital links that keep the world going,” he said. The institute focuses on biologically controlling plant pathogens. Two years ago, when a pest called papaya mealybug invaded India and posed a serious threat to papaya , mulberry and tapioca, farmers approached the institute. Insecticides had failed to help them. NBAII imported three species of parasitoids from Puerto Rico and saved Indian crops. This is just a sample of what they do.
Of the many curious things around is a quarantine building where “anything that goes inside does not come back”. This is where invading pests are quarantined. The doors are fitted with negative pressure, which makes it difficult for them to be opened, bringing down the chances of letting the insects out. They conduct in-depth study on the biosafety of accidentally introduced insects.
In their ambitious Vision 2030, the institute aims to strengthen taxonomy, mass production of beneficial insects , genome sequencing and a series of outreach programmes . But the problem, the director says, is that of human resource. “There are only 25 entomologists in the country. There are only eight taxonomists. But there are 750 families and each family consisting of thousands of varieties. There are not too many institutes offering courses on it either,” he said.
There are people from various genres working in the institute . Malathy Chitrala is a computer engineer who is developing a website on insects. Then there is Rajeshwari SK who has been a curator with the institute for 20 years now. “My job is to preserve insects once they are identified by the scientist along with the right family. My father was an entomologist and that’s how I got interested,” she said.
Ankita Gupta, an entomologist , agrees with Rajeshwari on how only a passion can drive them through such a job. “When you get deeper into the subject, it sucks you in. It’s so unique and special to me,” she said.