Biodiversity and conservation of insects and other invertebrates

Abstract

The thematic issue of Biodiversity and Conservation devoted to the biodiversity and conservation of insects and other invertebrates is introduced. The issue comprises 23 original research papers covering diverse habitats from forests to grasslands, ponds and rivers to coasts, and the tropics to boreal regions. Amongst the organisms discussed are ants, bees, beetles, butterflies, crabs, microgastropods, millipedes, spiders, and weevils. Some of the difficulties of conserving the most species-rich groups of eukaryotes, in the face of ignorance as to their identities and positions in ecological processes, are noted and the precautionary principle is seen as a pragmatic and responsible approach.The insects, and other speciose groups of invertebrates, pose particular challenges for understanding and conserving biodiversity. Not only do they constitute the vast proportion of all eukaryotes so far recognized, huge numbers of insect species (perhaps 85% or more) have yet to be formally named. This situation is only marginally better than that in the even more poorly known fungi. As a result of generations of collecting and documenting by both naturalists and professional entomologists, the inventories of some insect groups, such as butterflies and orthopterans, are much more complete; these are, however, the exception.Yet the extent to which such taxa can serve as surrogates for other insects in conservation action plans, has to be questioned because of the disparate ecological niches occupied. A major challenge for conservationists is the protection of little-known, or unknown organisms, responsible for key ecological processes that are critical to the maintenance of Earth's ecosystems. These range from agricultural lands to tropical forests

Study on the Diversity, Foraging Behaviour of the Insect Visitors of Marigold (Tagetes erecta L.) and Their Role in Pollination in Tentulia Village in Swarupnagar Block of North 24 Parganas District, West Bengal

“…Through this behaviour insect pollination (Entomophilous) occur. Only 5 per cent of plants are able to self pollinate and 95 per cent plants are cross polinated by animals (Hawksworth, 2011). Tagetes erecta L. is also a entomophilous plant so insects make huge impact to this floriculture.…”

Global Nepticulidae, Opostegidae, and Tischeriidae (Lepidoptera): temporal dynamics of species descriptions and their authors

“…Moreover, the inventory of species diversity is often limited to the best-known groups of organisms such as vascular plants and larger vertebrates, and too little attention is paid to the remaining 80-90% of biodiversity components (Puplesis 2002;Hawksworth 2011), such as the world's smallest moths (Lepidoptera). Data about these tiny lepidopterans, along with other organisms, are tools for prompt action on measures to preserve biodiversity and provide support for hypotheses about the early genesis of the Earth's biota (Stonis et al 2020b).…”