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Insect ecology is the interaction of insects, individually or as a community, with the surrounding environment or ecosystem. [1] This interaction is mostly mediated by the secretion and detection of chemicals ( semiochemical ) in the environment by insects. [ 2 ]
Insect biodiversity accounts for a large proportion of all biodiversity on the planet—over half of the estimated 1.5 million organism species described are classified as insects. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] A pie chart of described eukaryote species, showing just over half of these to be insects
Insect population decline affects ecosystems, and other animal populations, including humans. Insects are at "the structural and functional base of many of the world's ecosystems." [6] A 2019 global review warned that, if not mitigated by decisive action, the decline would have a catastrophic impact on the planet's ecosystems. [6]
Non-native invasive species can disrupt ecosystems because they do not have natural predators, or other ecological checks-and-balances. Thus, with less competition from native species, non-native populations can explode. [9] Invasive insects and pathogens have eliminated entire tree species from forests of the United States in as little as decades.
Insect pollinators are essential to the reproduction of many flowering plants and so to their ecosystems. Many insects are ecologically beneficial as predators of pest insects, while a few provide direct economic benefit.
Aquatic insects live mostly in freshwater habitats, and there are very few marine insect species. [9] The only true examples of pelagic insects are the sea skaters , which belongs to the order Hemiptera, and there are a few types of insects that live in the intertidal zone , including larvae of caddisflies from the family Chathamiidae , [ 10 ...
Aquatic macroinvertebrates are insects in their nymph and larval stages, snails, worms, crayfish, and clams that spend at least part of their lives in water. These insects play a large role in freshwater ecosystems by recycling nutrients as well as providing food to higher trophic levels.
The scale insect Dactylopius coccus produces the brilliant red-coloured carminic acid to deter predators. Up to 100,000 scale insects need to be collected and processed to make a kilogram (2.2 lbs) of cochineal dye. [89] A similar number of lac bugs are needed to make a kilogram of shellac, a brush-on colourant and wood finish. [90]
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