Insects
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Insects: Diversity, Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation
Extraordinary Insect Diversity
Insects constitute one of the most diverse and abundant groups of animals on Earth. Research continues to reveal that their true diversity is substantially greater than the number of species currently described. Recent estimates suggest that Earth could contain roughly 14–20 million insect species, while discoveries of new beetles, butterflies, bees and other insects demonstrate how much biodiversity remains undocumented. Natural-history collections containing millions of specimens, genetic analysis and modern digitization programs are helping scientists identify species and reconstruct the evolutionary history of this immense branch of animal life.
Insects occupy nearly every terrestrial and freshwater environment and exhibit an enormous range of body forms, diets, reproductive strategies and behaviors. Their evolutionary success has been associated with characteristics such as small body size, flight, rapid reproduction, specialization and the ability to exploit an extraordinary variety of ecological niches. Fossils and genomic research show that insects have undergone hundreds of millions of years of diversification and developed complex relationships with plants, microorganisms and other animals.
Major Groups of Insects
Beetles are among the most diverse insect groups and occupy habitats ranging from forests and agricultural landscapes to freshwater systems. They function as predators, herbivores, decomposers and pollinators. Research continues to discover previously unknown beetle species, including numerous tropical species that may be threatened before they are formally described. Studies of beetles also reveal specialized mating systems, chemical communication and complex relationships with plants and other organisms.
Bees, wasps and ants belong to the extraordinarily diverse order Hymenoptera. Bees are particularly important pollinators, while ants influence soil, vegetation, seed dispersal and food webs. Wasps include predators and parasitoids that regulate populations of other organisms. Social evolution has produced remarkably complex colonies among many ants, bees and wasps, while research into insect cognition demonstrates sophisticated learning, communication and problem-solving abilities.
Butterflies and moths are ecologically important herbivores, pollinators and prey species. Their relationships with host plants can be highly specialized, and genetic studies continue to reveal cryptic species that are difficult to distinguish by appearance alone. Moths provide especially important nighttime pollination services, while butterflies such as monarchs demonstrate how insect life cycles can involve migrations spanning enormous geographic areas.
Flies and mosquitoes are another highly diverse component of insect ecosystems. Although mosquitoes are best known as disease vectors, many species feed extensively on plants and can contribute to pollination. Flies are major pollinators of both wild plants and agricultural crops. Research into mosquitoes also demonstrates how forest loss, insecticide resistance and changing environments can alter insect populations and their interactions with humans.
Dragonflies, stoneflies, grasshoppers, crickets, katydids, termites, cockroaches, mantises, aphids and many other groups further illustrate insect diversity. Aquatic insects connect freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems, predatory insects regulate prey populations, and social insects such as termites can form enormous colonies with highly specialized divisions of labor.
Pollination and Ecosystem Services
Insects perform ecological services essential to natural ecosystems and human societies. Pollination is one of the most visible examples. Bees, butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, wasps and even some mosquitoes transfer pollen among flowers, supporting reproduction in wild plants and agricultural crops. Research increasingly emphasizes that effective pollination depends on diverse communities rather than a small number of familiar species.
Insects also decompose organic material, recycle nutrients, aerate soils, regulate pests and provide food for birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and other animals. Dung beetles recycle animal waste and improve soils, predatory insects suppress agricultural pests, and ants disperse seeds and influence plant communities. These relationships make insect biodiversity an important component of ecosystem resilience and productivity.
Agricultural landscapes can either support or undermine these ecological functions. Hedgerows, agroforestry, native vegetation, nesting habitat and reduced pesticide exposure can support pollinators and other beneficial insects. Restored vegetation around solar facilities, utility corridors, roadsides and farms has demonstrated that working landscapes can also provide substantial insect habitat when appropriately managed.
Insect Evolution and Adaptation
The evolutionary history of insects includes some of the most remarkable biological innovations in the animal kingdom. Flight allowed insects to disperse widely and exploit new habitats, while interactions with flowering plants contributed to extensive diversification among pollinating and plant-feeding groups. Fossils demonstrate that sophisticated plant-feeding strategies existed more than 100 million years ago, while ancient insects preserved in amber provide direct evidence of extinct ecosystems.
Modern genomic research is clarifying relationships among insect groups and revealing the genetic mechanisms behind metamorphosis, social behavior, sensory systems and adaptation. Studies of bees, ants, termites, butterflies, beetles and flies show how changes in genes and gene regulation can generate dramatic differences in behavior, morphology and ecological specialization.
Insects have also developed extraordinary physiological and behavioral adaptations. Some survive extreme temperatures, others employ mimicry or chemical defenses, and social insects coordinate the activities of thousands or millions of individuals. Parasitoids exploit other insects during development, while mutualistic relationships connect insects with plants, fungi and microorganisms.
Insect Decline and Biodiversity Loss
Despite their extraordinary abundance and evolutionary success, many insect populations are under increasing pressure. Long-term studies have documented declines in abundance, species richness or geographic occurrence among numerous insect communities. The scale and severity of decline vary among regions and groups, making long-term monitoring essential for understanding global trends.
Habitat destruction and fragmentation are major pressures because insects frequently depend on specific plants, soils, wetlands, forests or microhabitats. Agricultural intensification can simplify landscapes and eliminate nesting and feeding resources. Urban development, altered forest management and other land-use changes can similarly transform insect communities.
Climate change creates additional pressures by shifting temperature and rainfall patterns and altering seasonal relationships between insects and plants. Tropical and alpine insects can be particularly vulnerable because many already live near their physiological temperature limits or occupy habitats with few opportunities for migration.
Pesticides, Pollution and Invasive Species
Pesticides can affect insects directly through mortality and indirectly through changes in reproduction, behavior, immune function and food availability. Exposure may affect organisms beyond the intended agricultural pests, including pollinators and natural pest predators. Some studies indicate that pesticide effects can extend across generations or interact with parasites and diseases.
Pollution presents additional challenges. Air pollution can interfere with floral scents used by pollinators to locate plants, while toxic metals and other contaminants can accumulate differently among insect species. Even plants marketed as beneficial to pollinators may contain pesticide residues if chemicals were used during commercial production.
Invasive species can restructure insect communities through competition, predation and habitat alteration. Introduced ants, mantises and other insects can compete with or consume native species, while invasive plants and other organisms may alter the resources available to insects. In some ecosystems these changes can cascade through food webs and affect animals far removed from the insects themselves.
Habitat Restoration and Insect Conservation
Protecting insects requires conserving the habitats and ecological relationships on which they depend. Conservation strategies include maintaining native vegetation, protecting wetlands and forests, reducing unnecessary pesticide use, providing nesting and overwintering habitat and reconnecting fragmented landscapes.
Gardens and urban green spaces can contribute to insect conservation when they contain diverse flowering plants and suitable shelter. Leaving fallen leaves, standing stems and other vegetation through winter provides habitat for insects that overwinter in plant material or soil. Roadsides, farms, utility corridors and solar-energy facilities can also become valuable habitat when managed with biodiversity in mind.
Conservation efforts increasingly recognize that flowers alone are insufficient. Bees and other insects require nesting locations, larval host plants, overwintering sites, water and protection from harmful chemicals. Maintaining these resources throughout an insect's complete life cycle is therefore essential.
Monitoring, Collections and Citizen Science
Understanding insect biodiversity is difficult because millions of species may remain undescribed and many regions lack long-term population records. Natural-history museums provide an invaluable historical record through collections containing millions of preserved specimens. Digitization and genetic analysis are making these collections increasingly useful for studying changes in species distributions, evolution and environmental conditions.
Modern monitoring techniques include environmental DNA, genomic analysis, automated observation and tracking technologies. These methods complement traditional field surveys and can help scientists document insects that are difficult to detect through conventional sampling.
Citizen science has become another important source of biodiversity information. Photographs and observations submitted through public monitoring projects can reveal new geographic records, rediscover uncommon species and document changes in insect populations. Community scientists therefore provide data that can complement professional surveys and museum collections.
Insects, Agriculture and Human Society
Human societies depend on insects in numerous ways. Pollinating insects contribute to crop production, predatory species provide biological pest control, and decomposers maintain soil fertility and nutrient cycling. Some insects are also consumed directly as food and have been investigated as alternative sources of protein.
At the same time, a relatively small proportion of insects can damage crops, invade buildings or transmit diseases. Effective management therefore requires distinguishing harmful species from the enormous majority that are harmless or beneficial. Broad insecticide applications can disrupt beneficial insect communities as well as targeted pests.
Sustainable agriculture increasingly attempts to integrate food production with biodiversity conservation. Agroforestry, hedgerows, regenerative farming, native flowering plants and other habitat features can provide resources for insects while supporting agricultural productivity.
The Importance of Insect Biodiversity
Insect diversity represents far more than a large collection of species. Different insects perform different ecological functions, and even closely related species may carry different pollen, consume different foods or respond differently to environmental change. Maintaining diverse insect communities therefore helps preserve the ecological processes on which ecosystems depend.
The continuing discovery of new species also demonstrates how incomplete human knowledge remains. Some insects may disappear before they are scientifically described, particularly in rapidly changing tropical ecosystems. Protecting habitats can therefore conserve not only known species but potentially millions of organisms whose existence has yet to be documented.
Conclusion
Insects are fundamental components of Earth's biodiversity. Their extraordinary evolutionary diversity allows them to function as pollinators, predators, herbivores, decomposers, seed dispersers and essential prey throughout terrestrial and freshwater food webs. From complex ant societies and migratory butterflies to dung beetles, mosquitoes and aquatic dragonfly larvae, insects occupy ecological roles that help maintain functioning ecosystems.
Evidence of insect decline demonstrates the importance of protecting habitats, reducing harmful pesticide exposure, limiting pollution, addressing invasive species and responding to climate change. Habitat restoration, improved agricultural practices, natural-history collections, scientific monitoring and citizen science all provide tools for understanding and conserving insect biodiversity. Protecting insects ultimately means protecting many of the ecological processes that support plants, wildlife and human societies.
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Insect Diversity and Biology
| Soumya Sagar | Smithsonian Magazine | July 2, 2026
New research suggests Earth may contain 14–20 million insect species, far more than recent estimates of roughly six million.
| James Ashworth | Natural History Museum | May 12, 2026
DNA-based studies of poorly known tropical ground beetles could reveal hidden biodiversity quickly enough to help identify rainforests most in need of protection.
| National Geographic Staff | National Geographic | April 20, 2026
Entomologist Sammy Ramsey answers questions about insect biology, bees, mosquitoes, insect foods and the distinction between insects and other so-called bugs.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | December 22, 2025
Scientists describe a new beetle species from Madagascar and highlight how much insect diversity remains undiscovered.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | December 11, 2025
Taxonomic research split what had been considered a handful of South American butterflies into numerous distinct species.
| Kiyomi Taguchi | Phys.org / University of Washington | September 24, 2025
Surveys in Washington State documented eight bee species not previously recorded in the state and many additional county records.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | September 19, 2025
Amber from Ecuador preserves insects that lived during the age of dinosaurs and expands knowledge of ancient South American insect communities.
| Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | Smithsonian Magazine | March 3, 2025
Fossil evidence indicates that sophisticated plant-feeding strategies among insects were already established about 165 million years ago.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | October 28, 2024
Fossils suggest competition and predation from early birds may have helped drive improvements in cicada flight during the Mesozoic.
| José Vadi | UC Davis | May 28, 2024
An insect biology research program gives students practical experience studying insect diversity, ecology and laboratory techniques.
| Liz Langley | National Geographic | November 26, 2016
An overview of the adaptations—including flight, small size, prolific reproduction and defensive strategies—that helped insects become Earth's dominant animal group.
| Paul E. Hanson and Kenji Nishida | Smithsonian Libraries and Archives | 2016
A guide to the principal insect and arthropod groups inhabiting tropical America and their natural histories.
| Carl Zimmer | National Geographic | 2006
Honeybee genetics provide clues to the evolutionary history linking bees with wasps and other major groups of insects.
| Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | Smithsonian Institution | n.d.
An introduction to the defining insect body plan: six legs, three body regions, antennae and characteristic wing arrangements.
| Smithsonian Institution | Q?rius | n.d.
An overview of insect biodiversity, specialization, evolution and the enormous number of insect species occupying ecosystems worldwide.
| American Museum of Natural History | AMNH | n.d.
An accessible introduction to entomology and the ecological roles insects perform as pollinators, predators, prey, decomposers and ecosystem engineers.
| Smithsonian Institution | Smithsonian BugInfo | n.d.
A statistical overview of the extraordinary abundance and diversity of insects, including estimates of trillions upon trillions of individuals worldwide.
| Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | Smithsonian Institution | n.d.
The Smithsonian describes its collection of more than 35 million entomological specimens representing hundreds of thousands of insect species.
| American Museum of Natural History | AMNH | n.d.
An introduction to arthropod diversity featuring ants, beetles, mosquitoes, butterflies, termites, dragonflies and other insects.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | n.d.
A broad gateway to research and educational material about insects, including beetles, bees, flies, butterflies, moths, mosquitoes and true bugs.
Beetles
| Guanacaste Dry Forest Conservation Fund | Phys.org | July 28, 2026
Studies of more than 100 Costa Rican rove beetles reveal how elevation influences insect tolerance to rising temperatures.
| Felix Neff et al. | Nature Ecology & Evolution | June 2, 2026
Ninety years of records reveal major historical changes in saproxylic beetle and butterfly richness associated with agriculture, forest management and climate.
| Nature Ecology & Evolution | Nature Ecology & Evolution | June 2, 2026
Long-term evidence shows severe twentieth-century declines and partial recoveries among butterflies and deadwood-dependent beetles.
| Andy Fell | UC Davis | February 18, 2026
Research shows how mirror-image forms of pheromone molecules help beetles recognize and locate suitable mates.
| Jennifer Pullar | Natural History Museum | April 28, 2025
Digitization of a historic ground beetle specimen revealed traces of its prey and demonstrates the scientific value of natural-history collections.
| Florida Museum of Natural History | EurekAlert! | October 2024
Beetles represented roughly one-quarter of more than 11,000 flower-visiting insects collected while studying managed utility corridors.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | August 20, 2024
Undescribed tropical beetles may face especially high extinction risks because species can disappear before scientists formally recognize them.
| Andy Fell | UC Davis | January 18, 2024
Researchers investigate an unusual beetle mating schedule and the biological rhythms that shape reproductive behavior.
| Yvonne Da Silva and Lisa Hendry | Natural History Museum | n.d.
A survey of remarkable British beetles illustrates the enormous diversity of Coleoptera in appearance, habitat and diet.
| Smithsonian Institution | Smithsonian BugInfo | n.d.
An overview of beetle diversity, anatomy, habitats and feeding strategies in the world's largest described insect order.
| Smithsonian Institution | Q?rius | n.d.
Beetle evolution, pollination and hardened forewings help explain why Coleoptera became one of Earth's most extraordinarily diverse animal groups.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | n.d.
Predatory tiger beetles and antlions illustrate some of the unusual hunting adaptations evolved by insects.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Dung beetles recycle nutrients, improve soils, bury animal waste and help suppress livestock parasites.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Soldier beetles, scarabs, longhorn beetles and other Coleoptera can make important contributions to flower pollination.
Bees, Wasps and Ants
| Kit Prendergast | Phys.org / The Conversation | July 2026
Research suggests larger bees could be disproportionately affected as rising atmospheric carbon dioxide changes environmental conditions.
| India Glyde | Phys.org / University of Wollongong | February 24, 2026
A global analysis estimates that roughly 24,700–26,200 bee species may exist, thousands more than are currently recognized.
| Vanessa Crooks | Smithsonian Magazine | February 6, 2026
A review finds major gaps in scientists' knowledge of the behavior of thousands of Neotropical ant species.
| Jules Bernstein | Phys.org / University of California Riverside | November 13, 2025
Experiments reveal ecological costs when bumblebees compete with invasive Argentine ants for floral resources.
| Kathy Keatley Garvey | UC Davis | October 20, 2025
Genomic analysis of museum specimens challenges the idea that pathogens were primarily responsible for the decline of Franklin's bumblebee.
| University of Reading | Phys.org | May 20, 2025
Researchers identify emerging threats to bees, including light pollution, microplastics, conflict and other environmental pressures.
| Åsa Malmberg and Marcus Holmqvist | Phys.org / Uppsala University | September 19, 2024
High-speed observations explain how bumblebees bite flowers and vibrate their flight muscles during buzz pollination.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | January 25, 2024
Invasive ants in Kenya disrupt relationships among native ants, acacia trees and large mammals, ultimately changing lion hunting behavior.
| Amy Quinton | UC Davis | November 29, 2021
Pesticide exposure can produce effects extending beyond directly exposed bees into subsequent generations.
| Kathy Keatley Garvey | UC Davis | June 4, 2021
A major spider-wasp collection adds valuable specimens for research into wasp taxonomy, distribution and biodiversity.
| Andy Fell | UC Davis | May 14, 2020
Entomologists explain hornet biology, behavior and identification amid public concern over Asian giant hornets.
| Smithsonian Institution | Smithsonian BugInfo | n.d.
An overview of Hymenoptera, the enormously diverse insect order containing wasps, ants and bees.
Butterflies and Moths
| Nigel Stork and Adam Sharp | Phys.org / The Conversation | August 10, 2025
Strong El Niño events can sharply reduce tropical butterflies, beetles and other arthropods, threatening ecosystem functions.
| Penn State | ScienceDaily | April 3, 2025
Daily changes in plant scents appear to have influenced the feeding ecology and evolution of butterflies and moths.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | 2025
Photography and conservation research document the monarch butterfly's spectacular migration and the threats facing it.
| Public Library of Science | Phys.org | May 15, 2024
Long-term records reveal declining occurrences of bees and butterflies across western and southern regions of North America.
| Lancaster University | Phys.org | February 21, 2024
Properly managed solar parks can provide valuable habitat for butterflies, hoverflies, bumblebees and other pollinating insects.
| Kathy Keatley Garvey | UC Davis | August 4, 2022
A long-term study examines the ecological relationship between monarch butterflies and the milkweed plants required by their caterpillars.
| Elizabeth Kolbert | National Geographic | 2020
A major feature investigates insect decline and the ecological consequences of losing butterflies, moths, beetles and other insects.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | n.d.
A collection of resources on butterfly and moth biology, caterpillars, conservation, identification and new species discoveries.
| Lisa Hendry and Camilla Tham | Natural History Museum | n.d.
Museum specialists explain the characteristics commonly used to distinguish butterflies from moths.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Moths are major components of terrestrial food webs and include important nocturnal pollinators whose ecological contributions are often overlooked.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Moths, beetles and other nighttime insects continue pollinating flowers after most daytime pollinators become inactive.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
The extraordinary diversity of moths includes species occupying nearly every terrestrial ecosystem and serving as prey, herbivores and pollinators.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Certain native plant groups support unusually large numbers of western butterfly and moth caterpillars.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Harvester butterfly caterpillars are unusual among butterflies because they prey on aphids rather than feeding primarily on plants.
Flies and Mosquitoes
| Phys.org Staff | Phys.org | June 2026
Tiny harmonic-radar tags allow researchers to track mosquito movement through natural landscapes.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | October 23, 2025
Genetic evidence traces the origins of the famous London Underground mosquito to populations that evolved in the Mediterranean region.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | September 18, 2025
Genomic research tracks the spread and evolution of insecticide resistance in malaria-vector mosquitoes.
| Northwestern University | ScienceDaily | March 6, 2025
Closely related flies from desert and forest habitats process temperature differently, offering clues about insect responses to climate change.
| Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | Smithsonian Magazine | August 19, 2021
Mosquitoes are more ecologically complex than their reputation suggests, feeding heavily on plants and sometimes serving as nocturnal pollinators.
| Elizabeth Pennisi / Knowable Magazine | Smithsonian Magazine | 2021
Flies emerge as exceptionally important crop pollinators, second only to bees in visits to many globally important crops.
| Beth Askham and Lisa Hendry | Natural History Museum | n.d.
Bee-flies combine harmless bee mimicry as adults with a remarkable parasitoid lifestyle during their larval stage.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Effective mosquito management requires targeted, ecologically informed approaches rather than indiscriminate insecticide applications.
Dragonflies and Other Insect Groups
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | October 16, 2025
Stinkbugs carry protective fungal partners in specialized organs and transfer them to their eggs.
| Kat Kerlin | UC Davis | November 10, 2021
Researchers estimate that a substantial fraction of non-native plant-feeding insect species may remain undetected.
| Kathy Keatley Garvey | UC Davis | October 8, 2021
Aphids demonstrate remarkable reproductive biology, including rapid clonal reproduction that allows populations to explode under favorable conditions.
| Emily Osterloff | Natural History Museum | n.d.
Dragonflies' exceptional vision, flight control and interception strategies make them among the most successful predators known.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | n.d.
Fossils of griffinflies reveal some of the earliest flying insects, including species with wingspans exceeding 70 centimeters.
Pollinators and Ecosystem Services
| Camilla Brodam Galacho | Phys.org / Aarhus University | July 2026
European researchers warn that continued declines in wild bees, butterflies and hoverflies threaten biodiversity and food production.
| Erin Wunderlich | Smithsonian Magazine | June 23, 2026
A Smithsonian project is digitizing hundreds of thousands of bee, beetle, butterfly and fly specimens to improve access to pollinator biodiversity data.
| Phys.org Staff | Phys.org | April 2026
Experiments compare native plants and cultivars to determine which garden plants best support visiting bees, butterflies, moths and beetles.
| Phys.org Staff | Phys.org | December 2025
Scientists argue that pollinator conservation must account for major regional differences in how climate change affects tropical and temperate ecosystems.
| Sarah McQuate | Phys.org / University of Washington | September 25, 2025
Agricultural landscapes need larger and higher-quality patches of natural habitat if wild insect pollinators are to remain abundant.
| Lund University | Phys.org | May 22, 2025
A broad research review finds nocturnal pollinators such as moths can be just as important to plant reproduction as daytime pollinators.
| Tanya Latty | Phys.org / The Conversation | March 14, 2025
Beetles, flies, moths and other less celebrated insects perform major pollination services alongside bees and butterflies.
| Rachel Mallinger | Phys.org / The Conversation | July 22, 2024
An entomologist explains the diversity of insect pollinators and the threats affecting bees, beetles, butterflies, wasps and flies.
| National Geographic | National Geographic | 2011
An exploration of the extraordinary diversity of animals involved in pollination, from beetles and flies to bees, butterflies and mosquitoes.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | n.d.
Seven major insect pollinator groups demonstrate that pollination involves much more than honeybees alone.
Insect Decline and Conservation
| Kate Umbers et al. | Phys.org / The Conversation | June 18, 2025
Conservationists outline actions individuals can take to help threatened insects and other invertebrates.
| Christopher Halsch and Eliza Grames | Phys.org / The Conversation | May 8, 2025
A synthesis identifies a vast range of human pressures contributing to insect decline while highlighting practical ways to reduce harm.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | April 4, 2025
Scientists emphasize that insect conservation requires understanding the many interacting pressures responsible for population declines.
| Smithsonian Magazine | Smithsonian Magazine | 2025
Researchers investigate linked declines in insects and insect-eating birds and the conservation efforts intended to protect both.
| Roel van Klink et al. | Nature | December 20, 2023
A global synthesis finds declines in insect abundance and species richness are driven disproportionately by losses among formerly abundant species.
| Nico Blüthgen et al. | Nature Reviews Earth & Environment | September 4, 2023
Scientists assess evidence for widespread insect declines and discuss why trends vary strongly among regions and insect groups.
| Pedro Cardoso et al. | Nature Ecology & Evolution | January 2020
International scientists propose a roadmap for reversing insect declines through habitat protection, reduced pollution and better monitoring.
| Nico Eisenhauer, Aletta Bonn and Carlos A. Guerra | Nature Communications | January 2019
Researchers call attention to the comparatively neglected extinction crisis affecting insects and other invertebrates.
| National Geographic | National Geographic | 2019
Evidence of widespread insect losses raises concern about pollination, decomposition and the food webs supporting birds and other animals.
| American Museum of Natural History | AMNH | n.d.
Invertebrates dominate ecosystems yet remain threatened by habitat loss, pollution, introduced species and other human pressures.
Climate Change, Pollution and Invasive Species
| Phys.org / The Conversation | Phys.org | April 2026
Measurements from Kenya and Peru show many tropical insects already live close to their upper heat tolerances, increasing their vulnerability to warming.
| James Ashworth | Natural History Museum | February 5, 2026
Increasing pesticide toxicity poses mounting risks to insects and other arthropods despite international commitments to reduce pesticide use.
| Nature Communications | Nature Communications | 2026
A global meta-analysis finds invasive alien species reduce both insect abundance and species richness, although effects vary strongly among insect orders.
| Michael J. W. Boyle et al. | Nature Reviews Biodiversity | April 4, 2025
A comprehensive review examines habitat loss, pesticides, invasive species, pollution and climate change as drivers of tropical insect decline.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | November 12, 2024
A citizen observation rediscovered a tiny invasive insect that had gone unrecorded in Britain for nearly two decades.
| University of Reading | Phys.org | July 11, 2024
A review finds air pollution disproportionately interferes with the ability of pollinating insects to locate flowers and forage successfully.
| CABI | Phys.org | May 15, 2024
A review identifies climate change as one of the most important emerging threats to bees, butterflies, wasps and other pollinating animals.
Insects in Agriculture and Restored Habitats
| USDA/UC Davis News | UC Davis | February 19, 2026
Researchers seek better methods of controlling parasitic mites that weaken managed honeybee colonies.
| Argonne National Laboratory | Phys.org | January 2024
Restored native vegetation at solar-energy facilities produced major increases in insects, including dramatic growth in native bee abundance.
| Kathy Keatley Garvey | UC Davis | October 14, 2022
Comparisons of modern and fossil leaves suggest present-day plants experience substantially greater insect herbivory than plants preserved in older fossil assemblages.
| Soliveres et al. | Nature Communications | December 2015
Biodiversity supports ecosystem functions performed by insects, including pollination, pest control and decomposition.
Insect Monitoring and Biodiversity Research
| Eliza Middleton and Caitlyn Forster | Phys.org / The Conversation | September 23, 2025
Researchers warn that Australia's extraordinary insect diversity lacks the long-term monitoring needed to establish whether populations are declining.
| Communications Earth & Environment | Nature Portfolio | 2023
Studies in African landscapes show that butterflies, dragonflies and stingless bees can provide useful indicators of broader biodiversity condition.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | 2020
Twenty-five years of observations in a London wildlife garden document hundreds of species of moths, butterflies, beetles, flies and other invertebrates.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | n.d.
Citizen-science identification helps researchers document common insect groups and investigate environmental effects on urban insects.
| Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History | Smithsonian Institution | n.d.
An introduction to species, genetic and ecosystem diversity that places insects among the major components of Earth's biological diversity.
| American Museum of Natural History | AMNH | n.d.
A biodiversity overview explains the ecological importance of services such as pollination, decomposition and pest regulation.
Additional Insect Ecology
| Kathy Keatley Garvey | UC Davis | July 15, 2026
Experiments show that dead honeybees trapped in milkweed flowers can alter visits by bees, ants and other insects.
| Jack Tamisiea | Smithsonian Magazine | April 13, 2026
Entomologist and photographer Mark Moffett documents the complex societies, behaviors and ecological interactions of ants.
| Kathy Keatley Garvey | UC Davis | March 30, 2026
Entomologists correct common misconceptions about the diets and ecological behavior of familiar insects.
| Natural History Museum Staff | Natural History Museum | June 21, 2025
Research expands understanding of venom across small animals and includes unexpected examples such as aphids.
| Jerald Pinson | Phys.org / Florida Museum of Natural History | March 26, 2025
A broad assessment concludes that more than one-fifth of evaluated native North American pollinators face elevated extinction risk.
| Natural History Museum | Natural History Museum | n.d.
A citizen-science insect identification project tests people's ability to distinguish common insect groups such as beetles, bees and flies.
Insect Evolution and Diversity
| Arizona State University | ScienceDaily | August 15, 2026
A study of nearly 69,000 insect species challenges the long-standing idea that haplodiploid genetics alone explains why ants, bees and wasps repeatedly evolved complex eusocial societies.
| Pensoft Publishers | ScienceDaily | August 3, 2026
Scientists describe the new rove beetle genus Luffy, whose unusually elongated anatomy also helps clarify evolutionary relationships within the Staphylininae.
| Ingrid Fadelli | Phys.org | July 6, 2026
Phylogenomic research helps resolve the evolutionary position of Zoraptera, the tiny insects sometimes called angel insects or ground lice.
| Cornell University | Phys.org | June 29, 2026
Genetic sampling and statistical modeling suggest Earth could contain roughly 14–20 million insect species rather than the approximately six million commonly estimated.
| Cornell University | EurekAlert! | June 29, 2026
Researchers conclude that millions more insect species probably remain undiscovered, particularly among diverse tropical insect communities.
| University of Copenhagen | Phys.org | May 15, 2026
The description of 61 new Chinese rove beetles demonstrates that even relatively large and conspicuous insects can remain unknown to science.
| University of Arizona | ScienceDaily | December 24, 2025
Scientists are describing species faster than ever, with insects accounting for thousands of newly named species every year.
| Pensoft Publishers | EurekAlert! | October 2022
A European assessment warns that declining numbers of insect taxonomists could hinder efforts to identify and document the continent's enormous insect diversity.
| Baylor College of Medicine | EurekAlert! | January 23, 2020
Comparative genomics across dozens of arthropods reveals how gene-family changes accompanied more than 500 million years of insect and arthropod evolution.
| University of Wisconsin-Madison | EurekAlert! | January 31, 2019
Microorganisms associated with thousands of insect species represent an exceptionally diverse source of potentially useful antibiotic compounds.
Bees and Pollinator Biology
| Virginia Tech | ScienceDaily | August 6, 2026
Experiments indicate glyphosate exposure can alter honeybee brain chemistry and reduce foraging even though bees lack the plant enzyme targeted by the herbicide.
| Georgia Institute of Technology | ScienceDaily | July 10, 2026
Low-dose exposure to sulfoxaflor changes gene activity in bumblebees, including pathways involved in reproduction.
| University of Cambridge | ScienceDaily | July 7, 2026
Bumblebees foraging alongside honeybees accumulated substantially higher concentrations of several toxic metals.
| University of Cambridge | Phys.org | July 7, 2026
Differences in nesting, body hair and foraging behavior may help explain why bumblebees accumulate more environmental metal contamination than honeybees.
| ScienceDaily Staff | ScienceDaily | July 2, 2026
Bumblebees have demonstrated an ability to devise novel solutions to difficult laboratory tasks, adding to evidence for sophisticated insect cognition.
| University of Tsukuba | EurekAlert! | June 24, 2026
Even insect pollinators with similar body shapes can carry very different mixtures of pollen and therefore perform different ecological functions.
| Hiroshima University | Phys.org | June 23, 2026
Researchers identify hundreds of regulatory DNA regions activated as honeybee larvae undergo metamorphosis into adult workers.
| Rich Hatfield and Matthew Shepherd | Xerces Society | March 27, 2025
Conservationists argue that creating habitat for native bees is generally more useful for wild-bee conservation than adding managed honeybee hives.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Pollinator conservation requires nesting and overwintering sites as well as flowers that provide pollen and nectar.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
A Wisconsin cranberry operation demonstrates how farms can integrate native-bee habitat with agricultural production.
Ants and Social Insects
| Penn State | EurekAlert! | May 2024
Analyses of centuries of Japanese haiku reveal changing cultural perceptions of ants, butterflies, cicadas and other arthropods.
| Julie Michaelson | Xerces Society | n.d.
Many plants rely on ants to transport specially adapted seeds, making ants important agents in the structure and regeneration of plant communities.
Termites, Cockroaches and Mantises
| Pensoft Publishers | ScienceDaily | July 11, 2026
Two Asian mantis species spreading across Europe are now considered invasive and may prey on native pollinators and other wildlife.
| ScienceDaily Staff | ScienceDaily | July 11, 2026
Climate change and urban habitats may be helping introduced Asian praying mantises expand northward through Europe.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Predatory insects including mantises, beetles and lacewings can suppress herbivorous pests without relying entirely on chemical insecticides.
Grasshoppers, Crickets and Katydids
| Rassim Khelifa | Phys.org | May 18, 2026
Surveys suggest consumers may be more willing to eat insects such as crickets when the insects are incorporated invisibly into familiar foods.
| University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | EurekAlert! | 2015
DNA recovered from primate diets reveals grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, ants and other insects as important components of tropical food webs.
Dragonflies, Stoneflies and Aquatic Insects
| Rothamsted Research | EurekAlert! | September 22, 2025
Thirty years of British records covering dragonflies and numerous other insect groups reveal complex geographic shifts rather than a uniform national trend.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Dragonflies spend most of their lives as aquatic larvae, making healthy wetlands, ponds and streams essential to their survival.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
The western glacier stonefly illustrates how specialized cold-water insects can become trapped as glaciers and alpine habitats disappear.
Insect Decline
| University of Hong Kong | ScienceDaily | April 8, 2025
Scientists reviewing tropical forests identify habitat change, pesticides, climate disruption and other pressures as interacting causes of insect decline.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Amateur naturalists and community scientists provide indispensable records for detecting declines in rare butterfly populations.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
The island marble butterfly demonstrates how quickly an insect can approach extinction after becoming restricted to a tiny remaining population.
Pesticides and Pollution
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Reducing unnecessary household pesticide use can protect bees, butterflies and beneficial insects living in residential landscapes.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Home and garden pesticides can expose pollinators, natural pest predators and other non-target insects to harmful chemicals.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Surveys of California milkweed found numerous pesticide residues, highlighting chemical exposure as a concern for western monarch conservation.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Research suggests pesticide exposure can interact with disease and parasite pressures affecting honeybees and wild bees.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Some plants marketed for pollinator gardens contain pesticide residues, creating an unexpected route of insect exposure.
Habitat Restoration and Conservation
| Argonne National Laboratory | EurekAlert! | January 2024
Restoring native vegetation beneath solar panels produced large increases in insect abundance and a twentyfold increase in native bees at monitored sites.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Roadsides can function as extensive interconnected habitats for wildflowers and insect pollinators when managed appropriately.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Leaving stems, leaves and other plant material through winter provides shelter for numerous overwintering insects.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Fallen leaves provide essential winter habitat for butterflies, moths, beetles and many other invertebrates.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Carefully managed fire can maintain open forest habitats required by specialized western butterflies and other insects.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Forests provide nectar, pollen, nesting sites and overwintering habitat for numerous bees and other pollinating insects.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Habitat restoration efforts in California's intensively farmed Central Valley seek to reconnect fragmented populations of pollinating insects.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Gardens, parks and other urban green spaces can contribute significantly to conserving bees, butterflies and other insects.
Monitoring and Citizen Science
| Aarhus University | EurekAlert! | November 2018
Environmental DNA left on flowers can reveal which bees, butterflies, moths, flies, beetles and other insects have recently visited them.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Community scientists participating in Bumble Bee Atlas projects are expanding knowledge of bee distributions and conservation status.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Public observations have expanded the documented geographic range of the two-spotted bumblebee.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Bumble Bee Watch observations help researchers track commercially raised bumblebees appearing outside their native ranges.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Smartphones and online biodiversity platforms increasingly allow the public to document insects and contribute records useful to scientists.
Insects, Agriculture and Humans
| Gary Bentrup et al. | U.S. Forest Service | November 5, 2019
Agroforestry systems can increase habitat complexity and provide food and nesting resources for bees and other insect pollinators.
| S. E. McGregor | USDA Agricultural Research Service | n.d.
A comprehensive handbook describes the roles honeybees, wild bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects play in pollinating cultivated crops.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Because agriculture occupies enormous areas of land, farm management can have a major influence on the future of insect pollinators.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Hedgerows designed to protect crops from wind can simultaneously provide valuable habitat for bees and other beneficial insects.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Regenerative farming practices can be evaluated not only for crop production but also for their ability to maintain invertebrate biodiversity.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Urban farms can become important islands of habitat for pollinating insects in otherwise densely developed landscapes.
Unusual Insect Ecology and Behavior
| University of Exeter | EurekAlert! | March 4, 2025
DNA from Asian hornet guts reveals approximately 1,400 prey species, including bees, wasps, beetles, flies, butterflies and moths.
| Xerces Society Staff | Xerces Society | n.d.
Honeydew produced by sap-feeding insects is an important food resource for numerous other insects and illustrates complex ecological connections often overlooked in pest management.
