Strategic conservation of tropical insects

Shawan Chowdhury , Syeda F Jahan, Perpetra Akite, Yanina Benedetti, Timothy C Bonebrake, André VL Freitas, Md M Hossain, Richard J Ladle, Federico Morelli, Nigel Stork, Krushnamegh Kunte

Insect species are declining globally, yet they are often overlooked in biodiversity conservation measures. The tropics harbour > 80% of all insect species; however, information on their ecology and conservation status is largely lacking. It is imperative to identify solutions to the issues of data availability and integration of scientific findings with conservation policy for tropical insects. To achieve this, we assembled a global team of experts and identified four major challenges: global visibility, data shortfalls, lack of infrastructure, and insufficient conservation action. We developed a framework for potential solutions to conserve tropical insects and tested it in Bangladesh, a densely populated tropical country. Our framework applies broadly to governmental obligations for biodiversity conservation in tropical countries worldwide.