INSECTS SCUTTLE, CHEW and fly through the world around us. Humans rely on them to pollinate plants, prey on insects that we don’t get along with, and to be movers and shakers for Earth’s ecosystems. It’s hard to imagine a world without insects.
That’s why news reports warning of an “insect apocalypse” sparked widespread alarm. It’s undeniable that our Earth is becoming increasingly inhospitable to some insects – but nightmarish conditions for one may be heaven to another.
Put another way, there is no perfect environment for all insects. And human impacts on the environment, like climate change and land development, very well may hurt beneficial insects and help harmful ones.
In 2019, two scholars published a review that synthesized over 70 reports of insect decline from around the world, and predicted mass insect extinctions within a human lifetime.
To predict an apocalypse, entomologists worldwide will need to conduct careful large-scale studies that involve collecting, identifying and counting many different insects. There are very few insects for which scientists have enough data now to reliably predict how many individuals there will be from year to year, let alone confidently chart a decline in each species. Most of the insects for which this information exists are species that are important for agricultural or human health, such as managed honey bees or mosquitoes.
Entomologists are uniformly concerned about the fate of insects in today’s changing world. But I believe the responsible approach is to wait until detailed, large-scale studies are completed. Until then, these same gaps in our knowledge also make it hard to rule out that significant declines in diverse insects are happening. These gaps must be filled to illuminate challenges that insects face, from the inconvenient to the apocalyptic.
Similarly, native natural enemies played invisible roles in slowing the spread of, for example, the invasive brown marmorated stink bug when it was introduced in the 1990s. They included wasps that lay their eggs inside of stink bug eggs, and predatory insects and spiders that eat stink bugs eggs.
Insects are extremely important. Pollination and predation are just the start. Some insects could be sources of new drugs or traditional dyes, while others inspire artists or just provide little moments of beauty.
With so many unanswered questions, it’s clear that there is a need for more funding for biodiversity research. It is no coincidence that recent studies reporting massive insect declines came from a Long-Term Ecological Research Center that is funded through the National Science Foundation and from a carefully curated collection made and maintained by entomologists.
This kind of work requires money, foresight and dedication to science over long periods of time. But it can produce insights into how our world is changing – and that knowledge will help us prepare for the future. In this regard, young and dedicated entomologists at Visayas State University are also in the forefront of such studies. By Manny Palomar, PhD (EV Mail JUNE 16-22, 2025 Issue)
