We are losing the “Little things that run the world”

Insects make up about half of all known living organisms. They play key roles in, pollination, nutrient cycling, food chains or birds and other insectivores, and are one of the pillars of our ecosystems. However, the wide use of insecticides, fragmentation of habitats and climate change are placing multiple threats on them and their populations are under sharp decline. This Foresight Brief explores insect services, threats and solutions to sustain insect populations.
Insect species should receive greater consideration on national or regional Red List of endangered species (Goergen et al., 2011). Very few African species of arthropods are considered in the CITES appendices listing the endangered or threaten species, apart from three species of the scorpions from the genus Pandinus and the South African stag-beetles genus Colophon listed in the appendix II. However, listing insects under CITES has had mixed impacts. In Papua New Guinea, while it may protect some birdwing butterfly species, it also hinders potential trade in some species that could be appropriately farmed.