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- 🐛 What is the Great Insect Dying?
🐛 What is the Great Insect Dying?
& how does insect population collapse threaten life on Earth?
Remember going on long drives when you were younger?
And after a while, you (or your parents) would need to pick dead insects off the windshield?
When was the last time you had this problem?
Many people have started to notice that they don’t see as many insects as they used to.
And the evidence is backing it up.
A 2020 study found that 5-10% of insect species went extinct over the last 150 years.
Another study published that same year suggested that Earth is losing 9% of its land-dwelling insect species per decade.
This should be concerning, given that insects make up more than 80% of known species on Earth.
Why do insects matter?
Let's talk about all the ways that insects help support life on Earth:
And the most important part:
Insects pollinate up to 75% of global crops, a service that experts estimate is worth $577B per year.
That's not a typo. Pollinators perform a service worth half a trillion dollars annually.
These little guys are basically working for free, ensuring that plants reproduce and our food systems stay functional.
Ecologically, insects also work like the planet's maintenance crew.
They decompose dead organic matter, keep soil healthy, control pest populations, pollinate plants, and serve as a critical food source for countless other species.
Insects have been around for about 480 million years, far longer than humans.
Their long history on our planet has made them a foundational part of Earth’s ecosystems.
Without insects, many of these ecosystems would cease to exist.
As Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson once said:
Decline of the Bugs
Total insect biomass is estimated to be declining at 2.5% per year.
This rate of decline would produce a 10% loss over 10 years and a 52% loss over a 50-year time period.
Disturbingly, over 40% of invertebrate pollinator species, like bees and butterflies, face extinction worldwide.
The problem is global, but it is more severe in some areas.
For instance, one study seems to show that Puerto Rico’s Luquillo rainforest saw its insect population fall by 98% in 35 years.
The change had a big impact on other animals in the rainforest.
Brad Lister, one of the study’s authors, said:
“The frogs and birds had also declined simultaneously by about 50% to 65%.”
What’s causing insect extinction?
Researchers have identified five main causes:
The tricky thing is that all these forces are working simultaneously to destroy insect populations.
Imagine trying to survive if your house was being demolished, someone was spraying toxic chemicals around, the weather was going nuts, and you couldn't tell day from night.
Why don’t people care about bugs?
There are human biases that make it hard for us to realize how important insects are & how integral they are to our ecosystems.
First, many of us are grossed out or annoyed by bugs.
This can lead us to underestimate how vital they are to our world.
Most conservation research in the 20th century was driven by human concern about large and attractive animals known as “charismatic megafauna.”
We love watching documentaries about endangered species like Bengal tigers or rhinos because they’re big & beautiful animals.
But they are far less important to our ecosystems than mosquitos are.
It’s like focusing on maintaining beautiful stained glass windows when the foundation of your house is crumbling.
The Road Ahead
The potential mass extinction of insect populations represents a critical moment in our ecological history.
One study even said that the continued destruction of insect populations could lead to a “catastrophic collapse of nature's ecosystems.”
It's a challenge that is unlikely to be overcome without coordinated global action.
Technological innovation and a collective commitment to saving insect species can potentially reverse these trends and restore the delicate balance of our planet's insect populations.
Our world doesn't just depend on large, charismatic species.
The smallest creatures often carry the most significant ecological responsibilities.
ART OF THE DAY
Houses in Auvers by Vincent van Gogh. 1890.
