Insects make up 80% of the species on the planet. They play a vital role in the continuation of life on earth - pollinating crops, decomposing waste and supporting food chains.
But recent studies show that in some areas, flying insect numbers have fallen by a staggering 75% in the last 26 years…and humans are to blame. The situation is so dire that we could soon face what experts have termed Insectageddon, the ecological collapse of the insect population. Around the world, entomologists are working to prevent this catastrophe. In New Zealand, the prehistoric Wetapunga has been saved from extinction by a unique breeding programme at Auckland Zoo. Canvey Wick bug reserve is Britain’s first nature reserve for insects. This old industrial site, known as a “little brownfield rainforest”, is full of bugs including three species previously thought to have gone extinct.
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