Insect decline

A decline in insect populations happening across the planet has Earth’s ecosystems and humankind facing catastrophic consequences. The message has emerged from a review of 73 historical reports on insect population decline which found the rate of extinction is eight times faster than mammals, birds and reptiles. More than a third of the world’s insects are threatened with extinction in the next few decades. The review was conducted by Dr Francisco Sa´nchez-Bayo from the University of Sydney and Kris Wyckhuys from the University of Queensland, and published in the journal