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Creepy crawlies are vital to the health of our planet \u2013 but gaining support for them isn\u2019t always easy. <\/p>\n
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Insects and arachnids \u2013 spiders, scorpions and harvestmen (daddy long legs) \u2013 \u201cdon\u2019t usually get the same attention\u201d as \u201cpopular charismatic animals<\/a> like lions and pandas\u201d, says Laura Figueroa, assistant professor of environmental conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the US.<\/p>\n Back in 2017, it felt like this was beginning to shift. A study published in science journal PLOS One revealed a 75 per cent decline in flying insect biomass over a 27-year period across 63 nature reserves in Germany<\/a>. <\/p>\n News of a pending \u2018insect apocalypse\u2019 made headlines around the world, triggering a wave of similar studies and giving momentum to insect monitoring programmes and protection initiatives.<\/p>\n But almost a decade on, has it made a difference?<\/p>\n Building on the global alarm raised by these declines, Figueroa and her graduate student, Wes Walsh, sought to investigate the state of insects<\/a> and arachnids in North America \u2013 with worrying results.<\/p>\n \u2018We simply have no idea how they are doing\u2019<\/p>\n The pair gathered conservation assessments for the 99,312 known insect and arachnid species in North America, north of Mexico.<\/p>\n They were astounded at the lack of information available.<\/p>\n \u201cAlmost 90 per cent \u2013 88.5 per cent to be precise \u2013 of insect and arachnid species have no conservation status<\/a>,\u201d says Figueroa, the senior author of a paper published on 2 March in science journal PNAS.<\/p>\n \u201cWe simply have no idea how they are doing. Almost nothing is known about the conservation needs of most insects and arachnids in North America.\u201d<\/p>\n Among the few protections that are in place, butterflies<\/a> and dragonflies receive a disproportionate share, along with aquatic species important for monitoring water quality, such as mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies.<\/p>\n \u201cArachnids, in particular, are really missing from conservation; most states don\u2019t even protect a single species,\u201d says Walsh, the paper\u2019s lead author.<\/p>\n The researchers also found that states reliant on extractive industries like mining and fossil fuels<\/a> were less likely to protect either insects or arachnids.<\/p>\n Why are spiders important?<\/p>\n Spiders are often demonised as predators<\/a> but only a tiny fraction of species are actually dangerous to humans \u2013 around 25-30 out of over 50,000 \u2013 and even fewer regularly cause serious harm.<\/p>\n Their predatory skills, however, are invaluable for controlling insect populations. They keep flies, mosquitoes<\/a>, aphids and other agricultural pests in check.<\/p>\n As prey themselves, they provide a vital food source for birds, lizards<\/a> and other predators, sending energy up the food chain.<\/p>\n Their presence, or lack thereof, is also a key early indicator of ecosystem health \u2013 and without them, the resulting imbalance could have disastrous cascading effects. Pest populations could explode, crops could suffer, and entire ecosystems might destabilise.<\/p>\n \u201cInsects and arachnids are fundamental for human society<\/a>,\u201d says Laura Figueroa, assistant professor of environmental conservation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the US. <\/p>\n \u201cThey help with pollination and biological control of pests; they can serve as monitors of air and water quality, and they have worked their way deeply into many cultures<\/a> throughout the world.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cInsects and arachnids are more than objects of fear,\u201d says Walsh, who has a tattoo of a spider on his arm. \u201cWe need to appreciate them for their ecological importance, and that begins with collecting more data and considering them worthy of conservation.\u201d<\/p>\n Can insects benefit from lessons in bird conservation?<\/p>\n Currently, protections for insects and arachnids are fragmented, varying widely across different the US \u2013 and seemingly influenced by local industry.<\/p>\n Looking to the success of bird conservation<\/a>, Figueroa notes the importance of unity.<\/p>\n