Natural History Wanderings

Planet Earth Online reported on UK researchers demonstrating that planting wildflowers on land not used for crops increased the number of spiders, which helped control crop pests. The spiders feed on pests such as aphids. Spiders are an important part of ecosystem as both predators of small insects as a food source for large insects. Unfortunately, like bees and butterflies their populations are in decline. Read more at Planet Earth Online: Planting wildflowers on farmland helps spiders.