New study reveals critical gaps in insect biodiversity research

Azure Damselfly. Creadit by Dave Cooling

A major new study led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the Zoological Society of London (ZSL), with contributions from Professor Iwan Jones and Dr John Murphy of Queen Mary University of London, has highlighted critical gaps in our understanding of global insect populations. Published in Science, the  research calls for a new approach to monitor and protect insect biodiversity amid growing environmental threats. 

While insects represent the most abundant form of animal life on Earth – providing essential pollination, nutrient recycling and food web support – scientists currently have reliable data for just 1% of known species. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has only assessed 12,100 insect species, with approximately 20% classified as threatened. Most existing monitoring focuses on butterflies, bumblebees and dragonflies in Europe and North America, leaving significant knowledge gaps for other regions, particularly in Africa and South America. 

Professor Iwan Jones of the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, commented: “Insects are so diverse and so important for ecosystems and agriculture, yet for most of the globe we lack the most basic understanding of how their populations are changing. We need a way to rapidly fill these gaps so that robust decisions can be made to protect the natural environment and our place within it.” 

Dr John Murphy, a freshwater ecologist in the School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences at Queen Mary University of London, added: "There are over a million known species of insects, but probably at least another two million yet to be discovered. It's critical that we improve our understanding of where and how this important group of animals is under threat, and what we can do to better protect them." 

The study authors emphasise that while concerning reports of insect declines have garnered attention, the true global status of insect biodiversity remains unclear due to the complexity of insect life histories and significant data limitations. To address this, they propose an innovative framework that brings together multiple research approaches: 

• Analysis of long-term trends in insect abundance 

• Comparisons of insect data and trends from across different habitats and regions 

• Experiments to understand how insects respond to different threats 

• Gathering expert knowledge to help fill evidence gaps 

Dr Rob Cooke, ecological modeller at UKCEH and joint lead author, explained: "We need to find out whether insect declines are widespread and what's causing them. The challenge is like a giant jigsaw puzzle where there are thousands of missing pieces, but we do not have decades to wait to fill these gaps and then act." 

Dr Charlotte Outhwaite of ZSL, co-lead author, added: "Insects are an incredibly important part of our ecosystems, pollinating around 80% of flowering plant species and vital for 35% of global food production, yet they are undervalued and understudied." 

The research forms part of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)-funded Global Insect Threat-Response Synthesis (GLiTRS) project, which brings together experts from UKCEH, the Natural History Museum, University College London, the Zoological Society of London, University of Cambridge, Queen Mary University of London and the University of Stellenbosch.