The E-Connect lotus flower structure by Ecohaven Project, in collaboration with Brandon Ballengée’s ‘Love Motel for Insects’, creates a twenty-four hour habitat for urban insects. By day, native Delhi plants provide a habitat + food source for butterflies.  By night, the exterior of the E-Connect structure supports the ‘Love Motel for Insects’ by incorporating the use of ultra-violet light to provide a nocturnal habitat for moths and other arthropods.  The collaboration supports the main project concepts of Connection, Education and Sustainability. To be installed in the plaza of the Select CITYWALK , this project will offer an oasis of food and shelter for struggling urban insects and provide a opportunity for visiotrs to observe and appreciate these special creatures. Visitors are invited to photograph insects and submit them for inclusion in a forthcoming Delhi Bug-Blog! 

Why insects?
Insects are one of the least understood and appreciated groups of animals. Yet, the majority of our food crops rely on insect pollination to reproduce. Countless eco-systems would collapse in their absence and they have been a source of artistic inspiration for thousands of years! Insects are survivors; they first appear in the fossil record almost 400 million years ago, long before the dinosaurs! Today, however many species face decline or may disappear. Loss or alteration of habitat, pollution and climate change all may be affecting populations. Creating beneficial habitats, especially in urban areas where food and shelter maybe scarce, is a way to help struggling species and also a way for us to enjoy their company. Observing and studying “bio-indicators” species of insects can tell us the story of local ecological health.