Social responsibility
Pollinators are responsible for reproduction of the majority of plant species and yield of different crops. Bees, hoverflies, butterflies and other pollinators have therefore high ecological and economic importance, and their severe decline has to be stopped. Conservation and maintenance of pollinators is a major concern in both agricultural and natural habitats, while all people can be challenged in their own home to do something for them. Research associate professor of the Lendület ES group, Anikó Kovács-Hostyánszki edited a short booklet to disseminate knowledge and some of the key messages of the Assessment Report of Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production of the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) for the Hungarian public. The booklet explains in a concise and comprehensible way the diversity, importance, status and trends of pollinators, the drivers that affect and threat them and those possibilities that might help to mitigate their decline. It contains a list of plant species that can be planted in any gardens or balcony, providing flower resources for pollinators during the year, and the way to create nesting places easily from wood, reed stems or pine cones. The booklet aims to transfer science to public to conserve pollinators for our future, together.
Over the last decade three new invasive mosquito species emerged in Hungary (Aedes albopictus, Ae. koreicus, Ae. japonicus) Of these three Aedes albopictus is considered the most dangerous one, potentially able to the most different arboviruses. Until now no permanent population has been established, most probably because it was not able to overwinter in Hungary. Research on invasive animal species is an understudied area in Hungary, however, the invasion of such virus-vector mosquito species poses a potential human health issue too. We devised a webpage (szunyog.okologia.mta.hu) to submit mosquito reports and photographs and where photos and results can be viewed. The programme could be popularized and advertised via TV, radio, written and online media (through our existing media contacts). Aedes albopictus can be safely recognised from photos due to its prominent whitish or silver patches and stripes on the black body and legs. No similarly contrasting black and white mosquito lives in Hungary.