‘That Fruit Fly Has Won Five Nobel Prizes:’ Columbia Woman With a PhD on Bugs Explains Why on TikTok

Bugs aren’t the most pleasant creatures on earth—they bite, sting, or cause an itch. But someone has to study them. Dr. Megan Wilkerson, an entomologist, reacted to a woman on TikTok who was disgusted by her job. As bizzare as studying bugs may be, it’s a field that’s crucial for both humans and the Earth.

Entomologists are scientists who study insects. The discipline covers the behavior, life cycles, habitats, and interactions of bugs with other species. Insects are the largest species group on Earth—scale-wise, there are 1.4 billion bugs per person on Earth. Before anyone thinks of AI overpowering humans, think of the bugs first!

That being said, someone told Wilkerson was grossed out by entomology. Wilkerson thinks the random TikTok user assumes that her degree is pointless. To that, she clapped back by unleashing a stream of shocking facts about bugs.

“Trivia: what is the deadliest animal on the planet?” Most would assume sharks, lions, or even venomous snakes that can outrun human beings. But the true answer is just a tiny creature that may be flying and humming around delapidated spaces.

“It’s a mosquito,” Wilkerson revealed. “A mosquito kills up to a million people every year. Sharks kill less than ten,” she said. Mosquitos host parasites and viruses that they can transmit when they bite a person. While not every person who gets bitten becomes gravely ill or dies, mosquitos notoriously carry dengue, malaria, and Zika viruses, to name a few.

“In all across history, mosquitos have killed more than 50 billion people,” the entomologist added. Putting that scale to size, it isn’t difficult to recognize why studying bugs is important for the survival of the human race.

Why do fruit flies have more Nobel Prizes than the average human?

“That fruit fly has won five Nobel Prizes,” Wilkerson says, a shocking fact to most. Apparently, entomologists use fruit flies to study how human immune systems fight infections. But they also use fruit flies to understand Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Huntington’s disease at a genetic level. It seems that the fruit fly that’s often treated as a pest has done great service for humanity.

The reason for using fruit flies is because according to Wilkerson, 75% of human disease genes exist in the insect. The next time anyone thanks the bees, fruit flies should be included in the credits as well. Nevertheless, it doesn’t feel any less shocking to know that a whole species of insect has more Nobel Prizes than the average human.

But speaking of bees, they play just as crucial of a role in maintaining the planet’s ecosystem. Wilkerson said, “Every three bites of food that you eat exist because of an insect pollinator.” She lists fruits, but also chocolates and other food items will not exist without them. Wilkerson goes as far as to say that the food supply chain is held up by bugs, and they would all disappear if the insects did.

Even some makeup shades wouldn’t exist without bugs. Wilkerson mentions pink blushes and eyeshadow palettes achieve their color because of crushed beetles. “Girl, there’s bugs in your makeup!” She made the point. In any other circumstance, it might make someone feel nauseous—but not in this case.

Spreading bug positivity on TikTok

Bugs are important, and while people do get irked with creepy crawlies, not all of them are out to kill or harm humans. Some of these creatures die for human research and even because of human aesthetics.

“Somebody has to know them well enough to protect you from them and to protect them from us,” Wilkerson said. While she claimed that not all entomologists have to love bugs, she definitely does. Megan is known on TikTok for her informational videos on bugs. But she loves bugs so much, this scientist would even defend the very mosquitos most people would squish at a moment’s notice.

The takeaway is simple—bugs are essential to life on Earth. But it won’t stop most people from shielding up with bug spray.

(featured images: Jimmy Chan, Megan Wilkerson, Erik Karits)

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