Insect biodiversity

Insect diversity has recovered after past mass extinctions, due to periods where new species originate with increased frequency, though the recovery can take millions of years.

[6] Concerns of declines in insect abundance in the holocene have been attributed to habitat loss from land use changes such as urbanization or agricultural use,[7][8] pesticide use,[9] invasive species,[10] and artificial lighting.

[13] Most scientific and public attention has been focused on the conservation of larger, charismatic vertebrates, and relatively fewer studies have been done on insect groups, especially Diptera, Orthoptera and Hemiptera.

[15] The methodology of the Sánchez-Bayo & Wyckhuys study has been questioned; the search string used to sift through the scientific literature was "(insect* + decline* + survey)".

[16] Entomology professor Simon Leather suggested that media reports of an "Ecological Armageddon" may be exaggerated and advocated for more funding to allow better collection of long term data on the decline.

Robust data to assess at-risk areas or species is especially lacking for arctic and tropical regions and a majority of the southern hemisphere.

[18] While biodiversity loss is a global problem, conserving habitat for species of insects is uncommon and generally of low priority, although there are exceptions.

More commonly insect conservation occurs indirectly, either through the setting aside of large portions of land using "wilderness preservation" as the motive, or through protection of "charismatic vertebrates".

Showy insects such as butterflies or large, colourful beetles serve as flagship species, and can expand public awareness and financial contributions for conservation efforts.

In 1978, the government of Papua New Guinea set up the Insect Farming and Trading Agency (IFTA) to regulate the exploitation and conservation of Queen Alexandra's birdwing and other valuable butterflies.

In agricultural ecosystems, biodiversity is important for the production of food and for ecological services such as the recycling of nutrients, regulation of microclimate and local hydrological processes, and biological control of pests.