Rita São Marcos

Cryptotermes brevis (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) in the Azores: Lessons After 2 yr of Monitoring in the Archipelago

ABSTRACT. The dispersal flights of West Indian drywood termite, Cryptotermes brevis (Walker) (Isoptera: Kalotermitidae) were surveyed in the major cities of Azores. The sampling device used to estimate termite density consisted of a yellow adhesive trap (size 45 by 24 cm), placed with an artificial or natural light source in a dark attic environment. In addition, data from two other projects were used to improve the knowledge about the geographical distribution of the species. The level of infestation in the two main Azorean towns differed, with high levels in the houses of Angra do Heroísmo, whereas in Ponta Delgada, there are fewer houses with high levels of infestation. The infestation in Ponta Delgada shows a pattern of spreading from the center outward to the citys periphery, whereas in Angra do Heroísmo, there was a pattern of spreading outward from several foci. The heavy infestation observed in Angra do Heroísmo and the clear increase of infestation levels observed from 2010 to 2011 is a reason for concern and calls for an urgent application of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) control strategy.

Bugs and Society II: Testing Two Communication Strategies for Public Engagement in the Azores

Two initiatives to raise biodiversity awareness towards Azorean endemic species, an outdoor exhibition Acorianos ha milhoes de anos (Azoreans for millions of years) and a web contest to name insects Chama-lhe Nomes! (Pick a Name!), are presented in this chapter. Both communicational strategies targeted non-traditional audiences, relied on the Portuguese and Azorean cultural identity and on anthropic verisimilitude of situations involving insects. The context, principles, assumptions and multidisciplinary approach involved in the development of the public awareness activities were presented in detail in chapter “ Bugs and Society I: Raising Awareness About Endemic Biodiversity”. Apart from having symbolically occupied the urban public domain, the outdoor exhibition triggered positive reactions in more than three-quarters of the observers, prompting them to seek more information about the insects, to want to see them alive, to photograph them, etc. On the other hand, the web contest attributed common names to 12 endemic species of insects and motivated over one hundred people to carefully consider their photos and descriptions, engaging in sheer naturalistic pleasure. Less favourable were the post-observation recognition indicators of urban exposure, since only less than one-third of the interviewees correctly identified the insect’ group represented on the banner or could place the origin of the animal. Nevertheless, the means assigned to the evaluation of the intervention were not enough to undertake a full assessment of the impacts produced in the knowledge, attitudes and behaviours of viewers and users. Still, the resonance in the media was considerable, in terms of the number of news stories and the diversity of vehicles and audiences reached at regional (outdoor exhibition) and national levels (web contest). Communication devices like the ones presented are expected to raise biodiversity awareness and empower people regarding its preservation in the Azores. Moreover, the critical analysis of these initiatives is expected to provide guidelines that maximise the transferability of communication strategies to other social settings.

Bugs and Society I: Raising Awareness About Endemic Biodiversity

The negative impact of biodiversity loss on ecosystem functioning and services, and ultimately on human well-being, has been unequivocally established; however, despite all efforts, biodiversity is still declining worldwide. It is widely accepted that biodiversity awareness is crucial for its conservation. Nevertheless, after many initiatives to alert society about the consequences of losing biodiversity, biodiversity loss is still perceived as a minor environmental risk compared to others such as climate change. Thus far, most communication strategies have involved conventional venues, targeting people who are already “environmentally-aware”, and have not incorporated societal idiosyncrasies and cultural backgrounds. The wicked problem of loss of biodiversity and the existing strategies to promote people’s engagement are discussed under the risk communication framework. The risk perspective focuses science communication on the mitigation of risk and/or the minimisation of its consequences. Further, it helps to keep the target in mind, to establish activities and strategies that are useful for reaching the proposed goals, and to regulate the processes based on desired outcomes. After presenting the role of communication in risk governance, the principles and strategic options of the Azorean intervention, Bugs & Society, are presented. This communicational programme will be analysed and evaluated in another chapter through the presentation of two activities, which are provided as examples for further discussion.