We only know about 1% of the world's insects

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According to new research published in the journal Science, globally, there are one million known insect species, but there have been IUCN assessments for just 1 per cent –12,100 species, with around 20% of these considered threatened.

There has been some data on butterflies, bumblebees, and dragonflies in parts of Europe and North America. But little is known about 99 per cent of insects in parts of Asia and South America, and virtually no data exists on species in Africa.

In a new study, researchers pointed to the complexity of insects’ lifestyles and fluctuating population trends, and the lack of data to the lack of information regarding the biodiversity of insects.

“Insects are an incredibly important part of our ecosystems, pollinating around 80% of flowering plant species and vital for 35% of global food production, yet they are undervalued and understudied,” said Dr Charlotte Outhwaite of ZSL’s Institute of Zoology, joint lead author of the study.

To overcome this, the new study proposed a new framework for monitoring populations and analysing the impact of threats that integrates all available methods for studying insects.