Insect ecology and conservation in urban areas: An overview of knowledge and needs

• Published in: Insect conservation and diversity 2024-03, Vol.17 (2), p.169-181
• Main Authors: Collins, Catherine Matilda (Tilly), Audusseau, Helene, Hassall, Chris, Keyghobadi, Nusha, Sinu, Palatty Allesh, Saunders, Manu E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal biology; Anthropogenic factors; anthropogenic impacts; Biodiversity; Biodiversity and Ecology; Climate change; Conservation; Ecology; Environmental Sciences; Genetic diversity; Habitats; insect conservation; Invertebrate Zoology; Land use; Life Sciences; Literature reviews; road ecology; Urban areas; urban ecology; Urban environments; urbanisation
• ISSN: 1752-458X; 1752-4598; 1752-458X
• DOI: 10.1111/icad.12733

Urban expansion across the globe profoundly impacts local biodiversity. The growing body of urban ecology research on animals has largely focused on mammals and birds, whereas knowledge of insect ecology and conservation in urban areas remains limited. To anchor this Special Issue (SI), we have taken a broad approach to editorial and conducted a structured literature search to set the scene. We provide here an overview of existing literature reviews on urban insect ecology and conservation, indicate where the articles included in this SI contribute to developing our understanding and point to priority areas for further investigation. Key themes in the growing literature (at individual, species, and/or community level) include the influence of habitat quality, quantity and land use type on insect diversity; the impacts of anthropogenic pollution (for instance, heat, noise, light and chemicals); habitat connectivity and changes in habitat structure and impacts of urban density on genetic diversity. Insect diversity and abundance broadly decline with urban density and loss of habitat. Beyond this, variation in responses of different taxa, or in different regions, and methodological limitations of individual studies make it challenging to identify general patterns. Insect ecology and conservation research in urban environments should focus on applying ecological theory to understand variation in diversity patterns; investigating interactions between climate change and urban contexts; identifying impacts of novel environments on insect biodiversity; addressing methodological limitations and harmonising methodological approaches; and exploring the influence of social and historical factors on urban insect biodiversity. Insect conservation must also consider research into how best to communicate the value of urban insects to urban humans. Global urban expansion is a threat to biodiversity, but knowledge of insect ecology and conservation in urban areas remains limited. Key themes in existing literature include habitat influences, anthropogenic pollution threats, road ecology and impacts on genetic diversity, but knowledge gaps and methodological limitations make it difficult to identify general patterns. Priorities for future research include understanding variation in diversity patterns, climate change interactions, impacts of novel environments, methodological limitations and human social factors that influence urban insect biodiversity.