ECOS Guide to the Ecology of the Northern Rockies
 
   
 

Why Should We Care About Insects

butterfly
Steven Katovich,
USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org

“They are the little things that run the world.” – E.O. Wilson

Most people don’t notice insects unless they are being annoyed by them. But insects play a vital role in the lives of every living creature. Society could not exist without them. They provide essential products and services such as honey and pollination and are an important food source for animals and even people. They dominate almost every ecosystem on earth and more than a thousand species can be found in the average-sized backyard. Instead of seeing insects as a nuisance, consider the words of Thomas Eisner: “Bugs are not going to inherit the earth. They own it now. So we might as well make peace with the landlord.”

Did you know?

Insects are the most successful creatures on the planet

  • Insects account for eighty percent of all species in the animal kingdom.
  • There are over 1 million described species of insects. Some scientists estimate there may actually be over 30 million species of insects.
  • At any given time, there are 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) insects living on the planet.
  • Insects dominate every habitat except the open ocean.
pollinator
Whitney Cranshaw,
Colorado State University, Bugwood.org

Insects provide humans with products and services

  • Insect pollinators provide us with 75% of our food: a service worth $19 billion per year.
  • Insects provide honey, beeswax, silk and shellac.
  • Insects decompose leaf litter, wood, carrion, and they aerate our soils. Insects also clean up grazing lands by breaking down manure, saving ranchers more than $380 million per year.
  • Insects provide a food source for humans and animals. Five hundred species of insects are used as food by humans. *Insects are found in almost all habitats and play important roles in maintaining ecosystem processes. *Native insects provide more than $4.5 billion in pest control.
  • Insects are useful in medical and scientific research and have advanced our knowledge in physiology, evolution, behavior and more.
  • Only 1-5% of insects are harmful to humankind.
 
The ECOS program is sponsored by the University of Montana's Division of Biological Sciences, and the College of Forestry and Conservation. Carol Brewer Program Director, Division of Biological Sciences. Paul Alaback Program Co-Director, College of Forestry and Conservation.
NSF LogoECOS is supported by the GK-12 Program of the National Science Foundation.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.