Small but vital | Rainforest insect populations are collapsing

Humanity has wiped out 60% of mammals, birds, fish and reptiles since 1970¹. But this terrifying statistic ignores the invertebrates. This army of insects makes up over two-thirds of terrestrial species and supports every living thing.

Insects are not just declining, they’re being decimated.

Stop Deforestation

More than 40% of insect species are declining and a third are endangered. According to new research, the rate of extinction is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds and reptiles. The total mass of insects is falling by a precipitous 2.5% a year, according to the best data available, suggesting they could vanish within a century.

The biggest threats are from habitat loss, chemicals and climate change. Invertebrates are particularly sensitive to climate change-related variations. They’re unable to regulate their temperatures or migrate to alternative habitats, and they are vulnerable to invasive species ².  New research has shown that heatwaves can damage the reproductivity of male insects, making them almost sterile ⁴.

Insect populations are collapsing as we create an increasingly inhospitable world through deforestation, changing land use and liberal pesticide usage. Humans tend to choose which species to prioritise and save based on usefulness, beauty and visibility. This leaves the ugly bugs, the tiny worms, and the seemingly irritating flies to be lost without trace.

Yet they are the ones that can have the biggest impacts on society and food webs.