FLOOD INSECTS: How did insects survive during Noah’s Flood?

Swarm of Insects

The original Question was:
How could all the insects alive today possibly have survived the global flood of Noah’s time?

Answer by Craig Hawkins

The Short Answer

There is no record of known mass extinctions of insect families when comparing the fossil record to those alive today. Generally, only representatives at the family level needed to survive the flood and this would have been followed by post-flood diversification into various species in different environments and regions. This is consistent with the biblical concept of animals reproducing within their created kinds made possible within the genius of God’s creative design.

Many insects have long larval periods in water, for example some dragonflies persist in water longer than a year. Others may have survived long periods on floating log mats and other debris.

Recent research has shown that insects have a remarkable ability to adapt their behaviour to survive difficult environmental conditions including lack of food.

A large number of insect groups would have survived aboard the Ark in all sorts of nooks and crannies, on the bodies of animals, in dung, possibly to some extent in the food stores, and maybe in soil and plants deliberately taken on the Ark for survival purposes.

The Long Answer

Insects are not considered part of the lunged air-breathers that Noah was required to take on the Ark. Since insects are essential for ecological systems and life on earth, their survival through a global flood was therefore possible in God’s eyes without any specific intervention that we are told of.

When viewed at the family level, the relative extinction rate of insects has remained low irrespective of whether you believe in millions of years or Biblical time frames.1  While it is estimated that there are over 900,000 different species of insects alive today2 this is not how many types needed to survive the flood. God made creatures according to their “kinds” therefore we need to ask how many kinds of ants, butterflies or dung-beetles needed to survive to preserve diversity? While we cannot suggest a number here, clearly it is far fewer than the number of defined species today.

Dragonflies, damselflies, caddisflies, stoneflies and mayflies are examples of insects that have extended larval periods in water, often over a year. Flame skimmer dragonflies spend most of their 3 -4 years of life as a larva or freshwater nymph. Various other groups have at least partial water larval periods including Diptera (flies, mosquitos), aquatic beetles and bugs.

Scientists are uncovering new information about insects’ ability to survive long periods of suboptimal conditions including temperature variations and food scarcity. Some of the mechanisms include extended larval periods of over a year (the time frame of the flood) and an ability to enter into an extended dormancy called diapause. Diapause is a remarkable capacity to suspend physiological development including growth.3 This capacity is known for every order of insects but the mechanisms are not understood and require further research.4

Many insects did not survive the flood and its aftereffects and we see them preserved as fossils in sedimentary rocks and amber. Insects caught in amber suggest that many were likely able to survive, for at least a period of the flood, on floating log mats that arose from the mass destruction of forests. The numbers of insects in any one location, including a single tree, are huge so the chance of some surviving the period of the flood is high.

The Ark itself was a huge vessel with much life on it. Insects, even in diapause, could survive in many areas on the Ark, including on the animals. There was likely significant areas of food stores and a need for disposal systems where various insects may have been deliberately employed (e.g. dung beetles).

Finally, we must acknowledge that the flood of Noah’s time was a judgement of God upon the earth. He therefore is ultimately capable and responsible for sustaining all necessary components of His creation through the flood. Scientists are still a long way from discovering many of the incredible in-built capacities of creatures like insects to survive including the aforementioned diapause. God in His wisdom, destroyed the world that once was (2 Peter 3:6) but sustained life through it all. He is a just God, but His nature is one that provides us great hope, that we too might survive His judgement if only we would get on board the Ark of His salvation which is through the Saviour Jesus Christ.

References

  1. Unbiased statistical analysis of insect fossil records finds diversity unchanged over the past 125 million years. by University of California – Santa Cruz https://phys.org/news/2016-02-unbiased-statistical-analysis-insect-fossil.html Feb 2, 2016
  2. Smithsonian Institute https://www.si.edu/spotlight/buginfo/bugnos
  3. Diapause: “spontaneous interruption of the development of certain animals, marked by reduction of metabolic activity. It is typical of many insects and mites, a few crustaceans and snails, and perhaps certain other animal groups.”
    (Encyclopaedia Brittania Online)
  4. Saulich, A. Long life cycles in insects. Dec 2010 Entomological Review 90(9):1127-1152, DOI:10.1134/S0013873810090010

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About The Contributor

Craig Hawkins graduated with a Bachelor of Science, and went on to get his Master’s degree in plant science at the University of Tasmania 2005, researching the impacts of logging and silvicultural practices on a rare herbaceous species. He worked as a forester from 1987 to 1996, becoming the liaison officer for the Minister for Land and Water Conservation in NSW. On moving to Tasmania, he became compliance manager for the Forest Practices Authority in Tasmania until 2006. He and his wife Rachelle currently own and run Seahorse Australia, producing seahorses for the international ornamental fish industry at Beauty Point Tasmania. He is on the leadership team at Beauty Point Baptist Church, and a keen Christian, and has assisted with several Creation Research debates on Creation vs. Evolution in Tasmania and Victoria. Craig can be seen on the Creation Research DVD “Debate - Is Evolutionary Science Reliable”. He and his wife have six children.