
XIX. Insect Garden
A garden dedicated to insect-plant relationships and the ecological importance of this group of animals.
This somewhat “wild” section aims to highlight the importance of plant–insect interactions and their crucial role in ecosystem functioning. It also draws attention to the global decline of insects and explains how humans can coexist with them and promote their presence to benefit from their ecosystem services.
The adjacent water tank, also used for irrigating the vegetable gardens, serves as a breeding habitat for freshwater insects, particularly dragonflies and damselflies, which are useful in pest control. Before entering the circular path of the garden, visitors encounter a sandy area where digger wasps (Bembix, Tachysphex, Sphex), important pollinators and pest controllers, are reared.
The path, accompanied by informative panels, allows visitors to see a bee hotel where solitary bees are bred. (Approximately 99% of Iberian bee species do not form colonies but play a vital role in pollination.) This area is complemented by a naturalised meadow of annual and biennial herbaceous plants. Early-flowering vegetation, such as buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus), almond (Prunus dulcis), and calendula (Calendula arvensis, C. officinalis), provides food for pollinators at the start of spring when resources are scarce.
In one section of the garden, dead wood has been installed to encourage the presence of wood-boring and decomposer insects, such as the European rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes nasicornis) and its parasitoid, the mammoth wasp (Megascolia maculata). Additionally, the surrounding flora (shrubs, trees, and herbaceous plants) provides an important food source for butterflies, grasshoppers, flies, and other insect groups.
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