TWO celebrities made sure there was a real buzz around the launch of National Insect Week.

Environmentalist David Bellamy and One Show presenter Mike Dilger officially launched the week which is under the auspices of the Royal Entomological Society in Chiswell Green.

The launch took place at the insect study centre in the adjoining Butterfly World in front of guests including the Mayor of St Albans, Cllr Maxine Crawley, local Scouts, leading academics, representatives of the Environment Agency and 11-year-old Rachel McLeod, an amateur entomologist who brought along several of her hissing cockroaches.

National Insect Week, which runs until Sunday, is to celebrate the Earth’s estimated one million different insect species. It encourages insect enthusiasts to explore diversity in its many aspects.

The Mayor said: “What a wonderful occasion the launch of National Insect Week 2010 at Butterfly World was. It was such a treat to meet so many passionate and knowledgable entomologists, including David Bellamy, and to learn about the amazing world of insects. We humans are nothing by comparison!”