Every year, a group of entomologists and scientists selects the insect of the year for Germany, Austria and Switzerland. For 2022, the choice fell on a particularly rare specimen: The black-necked camel fly. Its neck is exceptionally long, its legs are strikingly brightly coloured and it prefers to live in treetops. Camel-necked flies are considered to be a particularly species-poor genus. Only 250 species are known worldwide. The black-necked camel fly is considered an exotic species and looks quite unusual with its long, dark neck stretched diagonally forwards, its crystal-clear, loosely veined wings and its size of six to fifteen millimetres. It has lived since the time of the dinosaurs. Their ancestors lived through the dinosaurs and witnessed great upheavals on our planet - where the black-necked camel fly has persisted undaunted for a hundred million years without changing its appearance. Camel-necked flies are not as directly endangered as a number of butterfly species. And yet many people have probably never consciously noticed a specimen.
Camel-necked flies were once widespread worldwide, but after the drop in temperature around 66 million years ago, only those species that were well adapted to the cold survived. This is why we now only find camel-necked flies in the northern hemisphere. In Europe, they are found in an area between northern Germany and southern Italy, on the edge of the tropics only in the mountains. Camel-necked flies love areas with meadows, bushes and trees, even at the edge of forests - areas where other insects can also be found. There they also find enough smaller insects, such as aphids and scale insects, to feed on. They also like to eat bark beetles, which makes them very useful. Camel-necked flies are diurnal land dwellers and like to stay in treetops. Despite their well-developed wings, the animals are not good fliers, but rather move by buzzing, hopping or fluttering and never over long distances. This is why they are loyal to their habitat. Another special feature of the camel-necked fly is that they moult nine to fifteen times in the larval stage. This is more than most other insects. The larvae live on the ground or in tree bark. They do not lay their eggs individually, but in packets - hundreds to thousands at a time and in many places. This dispersal enables the insects to maintain their population.
The insect of the year 2022 is just one of thousands of insects that fascinate us with their appearance and way of life. Above all, most insects are useful for our ecosystem. That's why we want to protect them. Many an insect finds its way into our houses and flats where it doesn't belong. Our INSEKTUM insect protection systems protect you and the insects that are important to us all and our ecosystem.
We offer you numerous different customised variants, e.g. a Swing door for your terrace, insect protection for your Windows, Pleated blinds, Roller blinds, Light well covers etc.
If we have aroused your interest in customised insect screens from INSEKTUM, please contact your local INSEKTUM specialist company, who will be happy to provide you with free, no-obligation advice at your home. It goes without saying that we adhere to the hygiene regulations during our visit to your home. We look forward to seeing you
