Entomologists

Insects have been around far longer than Homo sapiens yet their importance is often overlooked because they are so miniscule and easy to forget about. However, their significance is huge and they are vital for supporting life, on land as well as below water.

Insects have diversified through 400 million years of the Earth’s changeable climate, but insects are responding to recent climate changes in temperature and precipitation in ways that should be of concern, for example, many species are facing extinction. Investigations indicate that climate change impacts on insects have the potential to be considerable – perhaps we should consider them the ‘canary in the coal mine’. What could this mean for Homo sapiens?

But why are insects so important? Insects are the most diverse lineage of multicellular organisms on the planet. Their jobs in maintaining ecosystems are extensive and involve: soil engineers, pollinators, pest controllers, decomposers and providers. It is often said that, without insects, our species would not be able to survive.