Insects are crucial for ecological balance

Context

• Climate change has pushed environmental and sustainable development regarding biodiversity issues and the ecological importance of insects cannot be ignored.

What could be the harmful impacts of the insect extinction?

• Their extinction can have a cascading effect on the upper levels of the food pyramid.
• The pollination can be impacted at a large extent.
• This can leads to loss of plants species that depend on the insects for pollination.

What are the factors which could lead to their extinction?

• Insects are increasingly susceptible to extinction due to increasing climate crisis
• Rampant and indiscriminate use of chemicals in commercial agricultural practices
• Agriculture practices such as monocropping systems
• Climate change, forest degradation, habitat loss
• Unavailability of hosts and nectar plant species
• Anthropogenic activities, pollutants, climate change and rapid urbanisation

Which insects are going to be impacted most?

• Butterflies, Dragonflies, Grasshoppers, Ants, Wild honey bees, Paper wasps, Rainbow leaf beetles, Fireflies etc.