Tim R. New - Böcker

With up to a quarter of all insect species heading towards extinction over the next few decades, there is now a pressing need to summarize the techniques available for measuring insect diversity in order to develop effective conservation strategies. Insect Conservation outlines the main methods and techniques available to entomologists, providing a comprehensive synthesis for use by graduate students, researchers and practising conservationists worldwide. Both modern and more 'traditional' methodologies are described, backed up by practical background information and a global range of examples. Many newer techniques are included which have not yet been described in the existing book literature. This book will be particularly relevant to postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students taking courses in insect ecology, conservation biology and environmental management, as well as established researchers in these fields. It will also be a valuable reference for nature conservation practitioners and professional entomologists worldwide.

With up to a quarter of all insect species heading towards extinction over the next few decades, there is now a pressing need to summarize the techniques available for measuring insect diversity in order to develop effective conservation strategies. Insect Conservation outlines the main methods and techniques available to entomologists, providing a comprehensive synthesis for use by graduate students, researchers and practising conservationists worldwide. Both modern and more 'traditional' methodologies are described, backed up by practical background information and a global range of examples. Many newer techniques are included which have not yet been described in the existing book literature. This book will be particularly relevant to postgraduate and advanced undergraduate students taking courses in insect ecology, conservation biology and environmental management, as well as established researchers in these fields. It will also be a valuable reference for nature conservation practitioners and professional entomologists worldwide.

Winner of the 2025 Choice Outstanding Academic TitleThis handbook presents a comprehensive overview of insect conservation and provides practical solutions to counteract insect declines, at a time where insects are facing serious threats across the world from habitat destruction to invasive species and climate change.The Routledge Handbook of Insect Conservation consist of six sections, covering all aspects of insect conservation, containing contributions from academics, researchers and practitioners from across the globe. Section I addresses the fundamentals of insect conservation and outlines the reason why insects are important and discusses the greatest drivers of insect decline. The chapters in Section II examine the approaches that can be used for insect conservation globally, such as protected areas and agroecology, while highlighting the importance of insects in the composition and function of ecosystems. The chapters in Section III focus on insect populations in the major biomes around the world, from temperate and tropical forests to savannas and grasslands, with the chapters in Section IV focusing on natural and manmade ecosystems of the world, including mountain, soil, urban, island and agricultural habitats. They discuss the unique pressures and challenges for each biome and ecosystem and offer practical solutions for conserving their insect populations. Section V focuses on the assessment and monitoring of insects for conservation, discussing how we can implement practical monitoring protocols and what options are available. A wide variety of methods and tools are examined, including citizen science, bioindication, the role of taxonomy, drones and eDNA. The book concludes by examining policy and education strategies for insect conservation in Section VI. The chapters discuss key issues around social and policy strategies and conservation legislation for ensuring the long-term protection of insects.This book is essential reading for students and scholars of biodiversity conservation and entomology as well as professionals and policymakers involved in conservation looking for real-world solutions to the threats facing insects across the globe.

A series of original papers and reviews dealing with the peculiarities of island insects and their conservation in many parts of the world. Contributions to this special issue of Journal of Insect Conservation range from biogeographical analyses and ecological features of island insects and their evolution to the variety of concerns for their wellbeing, and practical conservation through a variety of, sometimes novel, approaches. They provide a valuable and up-to-date resource for entomologists and conservation practitioners.

This broad overview of Australian forest insect conservation draws on studies from many places to demonstrate the diversity and vulnerability of forest insects and how their conservation may be pursued through combinations of increased understanding, forest protection and silvicultural management in both natural and plantation forests.

Australia’s varied grasslands have suffered massive losses and changes since European settlement, and those changes continue under increasingly intensive human pressures for development and agricultural production. The values of native grasslands for conservation of endemic native biodiversity, both flora and fauna, have led to strong interests in the protection of remaining fragments, especially near urban centres, and documentation of the insects and other inhabitants of grasslands spanning tropical to cool temperate parts of the country. Attention to conservation of grassland insects in Australia is relatively recent, but it is increasingly apparent that grasslands harbour many localised and ecologically specialised endemic species.  Their conservation necessarily advances from very incomplete documentation, and draws heavily on lessons from the far better-documented grasslands elsewhere, most notably in the northern hemisphere, and undertaken over far longer periods.From those cases, and the extensive background to grassland management to harmonise conservation with production and amenity values through honing use of processes such as grazing, mowing and fire, the needs and priorities for Australia can become clearer, together with needs for grassland restoration at a variety of scales. This book is a broad overview of conservation needs of grassland insects in Australia, drawing on the background provided elsewhere in the world on the responses to disturbances, and the  ecological importance, of some key insect groups (notably Orthoptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera) to suggest how insect conservation in native, pastoral and urban grasslands may be advanced.  The substantial references given for each chapter facilitate entry for non-entomologist grassland managers and stewards to appreciate the diversity and importance of Australia’s grassland insects, their vulnerabilities to changes, and the possibilities for conserving them and the wider ecological roles in which they participate.

Australia’s varied grasslands have suffered massive losses and changes since European settlement, and those changes continue under increasingly intensive human pressures for development and agricultural production. The values of native grasslands for conservation of endemic native biodiversity, both flora and fauna, have led to strong interests in the protection of remaining fragments, especially near urban centres, and documentation of the insects and other inhabitants of grasslands spanning tropical to cool temperate parts of the country. Attention to conservation of grassland insects in Australia is relatively recent, but it is increasingly apparent that grasslands harbour many localised and ecologically specialised endemic species.  Their conservation necessarily advances from very incomplete documentation, and draws heavily on lessons from the far better-documented grasslands elsewhere, most notably in the northern hemisphere, and undertaken over far longer periods.From those cases, and the extensive background to grassland management to harmonise conservation with production and amenity values through honing use of processes such as grazing, mowing and fire, the needs and priorities for Australia can become clearer, together with needs for grassland restoration at a variety of scales. This book is a broad overview of conservation needs of grassland insects in Australia, drawing on the background provided elsewhere in the world on the responses to disturbances, and the  ecological importance, of some key insect groups (notably Orthoptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera) to suggest how insect conservation in native, pastoral and urban grasslands may be advanced.  The substantial references given for each chapter facilitate entry for non-entomologist grassland managers and stewards to appreciate the diversity and importance of Australia’s grassland insects, their vulnerabilities to changes, and the possibilities for conserving them and the wider ecological roles in which they participate.

The first broad overview of conservation needs of Australia’s largely endemic freshwater insects, drawing on examples and information from many parts of the world to illustrate and develop needs and practical prospects for conservation in inland water environments.

The first broad overview of conservation needs of Australia’s largely endemic freshwater insects, drawing on examples and information from many parts of the world to illustrate and develop needs and practical prospects for conservation in inland water environments.

Problems of insect enumeration and assessment of needs are addressed in the contexts of rapid and substantial losses and changes to all key Australian terrestrial and freshwater environments and promoting awarenesss of the importance of insects.

Problems of insect enumeration and assessment of needs are addressed in the contexts of rapid and substantial losses and changes to all key Australian terrestrial and freshwater environments and promoting awarenesss of the importance of insects.

Conservation interest in moths, by far the predominant components of Lepidoptera, lags far behind that for butterflies, for which conservation practice provides many well-established lessons for extension to their near relatives. The needs of moths are at least as great, but their greater richness and variety, and far poorer documentation of diversity and biology over much of the world contribute to this lack of attention. Australia’s rich moth fauna, largely endemic and of global interest, illustrates many of the problems of developing wider interest and support for moth conservation. Numerous species (perhaps half the total fauna) are undescribed, and many are ecological specialists in restricted and vulnerable environments over small parts of the continent. Establishing their conservation status and needs whilst accepting that foundation knowledge is highly incomplete and much species-focused conservation is impracticable provides complex problems in setting priorities, based largely on wider diversity and effective advocacy.  Most Australian vegetation systems, from grassland to forest and from sea-level to alpine zones, have been eroded in extent and quality since European settlement, resulting in massive habitat changes for native insects and to leave fragmented (and commonly degraded) remnants in which moths and others may persist. Recent surveys continue to increase recorded moth richness, reveal local faunal peculiarities, and indicate how assemblage changes may mirror wider environmental changes. This book is an overview of advances in documenting and interpreting moth diversity and ecology, to show how information from better-studied moth faunas can help in planning conservation of Australia’s moths through measures such as understanding the moths themselves by increased surveys and study, the factors influencing their diversity and wellbeing, and how such threats may be countered through increased coordinated conservation interest, commitment and management.

Conservation interest in moths, by far the predominant components of Lepidoptera, lags far behind that for butterflies, for which conservation practice provides many well-established lessons for extension to their near relatives. The needs of moths are at least as great, but their greater richness and variety, and far poorer documentation of diversity and biology over much of the world contribute to this lack of attention. Australia’s rich moth fauna, largely endemic and of global interest, illustrates many of the problems of developing wider interest and support for moth conservation. Numerous species (perhaps half the total fauna) are undescribed, and many are ecological specialists in restricted and vulnerable environments over small parts of the continent. Establishing their conservation status and needs whilst accepting that foundation knowledge is highly incomplete and much species-focused conservation is impracticable provides complex problems in setting priorities, based largely on wider diversity and effective advocacy.  Most Australian vegetation systems, from grassland to forest and from sea-level to alpine zones, have been eroded in extent and quality since European settlement, resulting in massive habitat changes for native insects and to leave fragmented (and commonly degraded) remnants in which moths and others may persist. Recent surveys continue to increase recorded moth richness, reveal local faunal peculiarities, and indicate how assemblage changes may mirror wider environmental changes. This book is an overview of advances in documenting and interpreting moth diversity and ecology, to show how information from better-studied moth faunas can help in planning conservation of Australia’s moths through measures such as understanding the moths themselves by increased surveys and study, the factors influencing their diversity and wellbeing, and how such threats may be countered through increased coordinated conservation interest, commitment and management.

The fundamental ecological, cultural and economic roles of insects give them central importance in functioning of terrestrial and inland water ecosystems worldwide. Insect declines, from a variety of anthropogenic threats, erode these services and dictate the need for insect conservation, but the consequences of insect losses are poorly recognised. In Australia, insect conservation must proceed from a very uncertain and incomplete knowledge of insect identifications and diversity, and also from a generally poor public appreciation of their central ecological roles and relevance to human welfare and other biota. These impediments occupy much of this book, in which cases of insect conservation across the world are used to provide lessons for Australia, where a combination of large numbers of insect species and small numbers of entomologists and citizen participants necessitates clear appreciation of insect importance, and focussed conservation priorities. Low public sympathy and inadequate scientific information can hinder progress because uncertainty, imprecision and ignorance are difficult to explain to policymakers and funding agencies whose interest and support may be pivotal. Understanding and overcoming those impediments is a vital component of insect conservation.This book is intended as an introduction to the needs, rationale and practice of insect conservation in Australia for students in conservation biology, managers and other concerned people who are not specialists in entomology, to whom the daunting variety and complexity of insect life may deter involvement, and for whom an Appendix aid to recognising insect orders is included. The text is based on conservation needs of Australia’s insects and shows how progress necessitates effective communication, clear priorities, and plans for action within a realistic and practical framework of aims and needs for practical conservation. A suggested ‘Agenda’ for advancing insect conservation in Australia encompasses many of these needs and activities.

The fundamental ecological, cultural and economic roles of insects give them central importance in functioning of terrestrial and inland water ecosystems worldwide. Insect declines, from a variety of anthropogenic threats, erode these services and dictate the need for insect conservation, but the consequences of insect losses are poorly recognised. In Australia, insect conservation must proceed from a very uncertain and incomplete knowledge of insect identifications and diversity, and also from a generally poor public appreciation of their central ecological roles and relevance to human welfare and other biota. These impediments occupy much of this book, in which cases of insect conservation across the world are used to provide lessons for Australia, where a combination of large numbers of insect species and small numbers of entomologists and citizen participants necessitates clear appreciation of insect importance, and focussed conservation priorities. Low public sympathy and inadequate scientific information can hinder progress because uncertainty, imprecision and ignorance are difficult to explain to policymakers and funding agencies whose interest and support may be pivotal. Understanding and overcoming those impediments is a vital component of insect conservation.This book is intended as an introduction to the needs, rationale and practice of insect conservation in Australia for students in conservation biology, managers and other concerned people who are not specialists in entomology, to whom the daunting variety and complexity of insect life may deter involvement, and for whom an Appendix aid to recognising insect orders is included. The text is based on conservation needs of Australia’s insects and shows how progress necessitates effective communication, clear priorities, and plans for action within a realistic and practical framework of aims and needs for practical conservation. A suggested ‘Agenda’ for advancing insect conservation in Australia encompasses many of these needs and activities.

The variety of theoretical themes and practical components contributing to modern insect conservation continues to diversify, together with realisation that insects affect many aspects of human wellbeing. Some such topics develop rapidly to become integral features of insect management or recovery plans; others become dismissed as irrelevant or tangential to major conservation effort, even if they are fundamentally important for basic biological understanding. This book includes commentaries on a varied array of topics previously covered in short Editorials in the Journal of Insect Conservation, and which are revisited here to assess, expand and update their wider relevance, and to demonstrate progress in appreciation of insect significance and needs. Some topics have remained highly relevant, even when poorly understood, but the complexity of influences on insect life are appreciated most effectively by including many such considerations in conservation, and understanding their roles in both communication and conservation management. Australian examples throughout the book demonstrate the practical difficulties of conserving a diverse, poorly documented and inadequately resourced insect fauna with a rather short history of conservation concern. The fauna is also one for which conservation interest is growing and for which designs of conservation management plans and designation of priorities are urgently needed as wider strategies also develop. The seven major chapters deal with published Editorials, each reprinted and followed by updated commentary and references, collectively addressing relevance and importance of developments over the intervening decade or so. An introductory chapter aids perspective through a brief account of the fundamentals of insect conservation, and the final chapter helps to integrate the text to provide outlooks based on increased understanding of insect life. The book is intended for students and environmental managers, as well as a more general readership seeking information on how insect conservation ‘works’ and how to address a number of contemporary issues.

Most of the world’s insects live—and disappear—without ever being seen. While conservation efforts frequently spotlight the most familiar and charismatic species, the vast majority of insects remain unnoticed: abundant yet overlooked, ecologically vital yet scientifically neglected. These “invisible insects” mirror the plight of countless other invertebrate groups—species whose extinction may pass entirely unrecorded, never having entered human awareness.Insect Conservation: Finding and Protecting the Invisible Inheritors confronts this challenge directly. It reveals how invisibility—whether through lack of study, limited public appeal, or gaps in taxonomic and ecological knowledge—creates profound obstacles for conservation. Yet the lessons learned from well known insects can be extended to safeguard their lesser known counterparts, gradually building the scientific and public support needed to protect the full spectrum of insect diversity.Written for naturalists, conservation managers, ecologists, and anyone concerned about biodiversity loss, this book explores insect conservation from three complementary angles. Part I examines the scale of the challenge: understanding insect diversity, recognising patterns of decline, and appreciating the functional roles insects play in sustaining terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Part II introduces the major themes and scales of conservation practice, aligning insect conservation with broader environmental efforts. Part III shows how insights from well documented and publicly recognised insects can be applied to help secure the future of the invisible majority.Urgent and accessible, this book highlights why increasing public awareness and the conservation profile of insect diversity is essential. Invisible insects vastly outnumber the species we know well, yet their ecological contributions underpin the living world. Through clear explanations, recent research, and independently referenced chapters, this volume offers both an introduction and a call to action—inviting readers to help safeguard Earth’s most overlooked inheritors.

A global synthesis of the impacts of wildfires and controlled burning on insects, bringing together much hitherto scattered information to provide a guide to improved conservation management practice. The great variety of responses by insect species and assemblages demonstrates the often subtle balance between fire being a severe threat and a vital management component. Examples from many parts of the world and from diverse biotopes and production systems display the increasingly detailed appreciation of fire impacts on insects in terrestrial and freshwater environments and the ways in which prescribed burning may be tailored to reduce harmful ecological impacts and incorporated into protocols for threatened species and wider insect conservation benefits.

Includes chapters on assessing changes among assemblages and in individual species, the variety of general threats (notably habitat changes and impacts of alien species) and more particularly urban threats.

Includes chapters on assessing changes among assemblages and in individual species, the variety of general threats (notably habitat changes and impacts of alien species) and more particularly urban threats.

A global synthesis of the impacts of wildfires and controlled burning on insects, bringing together much hitherto scattered information to provide a guide to improved conservation management practice. The great variety of responses by insect species and assemblages demonstrates the often subtle balance between fire being a severe threat and a vital management component. Examples from many parts of the world and from diverse biotopes and production systems display the increasingly detailed appreciation of fire impacts on insects in terrestrial and freshwater environments and the ways in which prescribed burning may be tailored to reduce harmful ecological impacts and incorporated into protocols for threatened species and wider insect conservation benefits.

This overview of the roles of alien species in insect conservation brings together information, evidence and examples from many parts of the world to illustrate their impacts (often severe, but in many cases poorly understood and unpredictable) as one of the primary drivers of species declines, ecological changes and biotic homogenisation.

Documenting and understanding intricate ecological interactions involving insects is a central need in conservation, and the specialised and specific nature of many such associations is displayed in this book.  Their importance is exemplified in a broad global overview of a major category of interactions, mutualisms, in which the interdependence of species is essential for their mutual wellbeing. The subtleties that sustain many mutualistic relationships are still poorly understood by ecologists and conservation managers alike. Examples from many parts of the world and ecological regimes demonstrate the variety of mutualisms between insect taxa, and between insects and plants, in particular, and their significance in planning and undertaking insect conservation – of both individual species and the wider contexts on which they depend.  Several taxonomic groups, notably ants, lycaenid butterflies and sucking bugs, help to demonstrate the evolution and flexibility of mutualistic interactions, whilst fundamental processes such as pollination emphasise the central roles of, often, highly specific partnerships. This compilation brings together a wide range of relevant cases and contexts, with implications for practical insect conservation and increasing awareness of the roles of co-adaptations of behaviour and ecology as adjuncts to designing optimal conservation plans. The three major themes deal with the meanings and mechanisms of mutualisms, the classic mutualisms that involve insect partners, and the environmental and conservation lessons that flow from these and have potential to facilitate and improve insect conservation practice. The broader ecological perspective advances the transition from primary focus on single species toward consequently enhancing wider ecological contexts in which insect diversity can thrive.

This overview of the roles of alien species in insect conservation brings together information, evidence and examples from many parts of the world to illustrate their impacts (often severe, but in many cases poorly understood and unpredictable) as one of the primary drivers of species declines, ecological changes and biotic homogenisation.

Examples from many parts of the world and ecological regimes demonstrate the variety of mutualisms between insect taxa, and between insects and plants, in particular, and their significance in planning and undertaking insect conservation – of both individual species and the wider contexts on which they depend.

Losses of forests and their insect inhabitants are a major global conservation concern, spanning tropical and temperate forest regions throughout the world. This broad overview of Australian forest insect conservation draws on studies from many places to demonstrate the diversity and vulnerability of forest insects and how their conservation may be pursued through combinations of increased understanding, forest protection and silvicultural management in both natural and plantation forests. The relatively recent history of severe human disturbance to Australian forests ensures that reasonably natural forest patches remain and serve as ‘models’ for many forest categories. They are also refuges for many forest biota extirpated from the wider landscapes as forests are lost, and merit strenuous protection from further changes, and wider efforts to promote connectivity between otherwise isolated remnant patches. In parallel, the recent attention to improving forest insect conservation inharmony with insect pest management continues to benefit from perspectives generated from better-documented faunas elsewhere. Lessons from the northern hemisphere, in particular, have led to revelations of the ecological importance and vulnerability of many insect taxa in forests, together with clear evidence that ‘conservation can work’ in concert with wider forest uses. A brief outline of the variety of Australian tropical and temperate forests and woodlands, and of the multitude of endemic and, often, highly localised insects that depend on them highlights needs for conservation (both of single focal species and wider forest-dependent radiations and assemblages). The ways in which insects contribute to sustained ecological integrity of these complex ecosystems provide numerous opportunities for practical conservation.

Contributions to this special issue of Journal of Insect Conservation range from biogeographical analyses and ecological features of island insects and their evolution to the variety of concerns for their wellbeing, and practical conservation through a variety of, sometimes novel, approaches.

A survey of the development and practice of butterfly conservation in south east Australia, tracing evolution of the science through a series of cases from focus on single subspecies through increasing levels of ecological complexity to critical biotopes and communities. The book summarises much previously scattered information, and provides access to much regional information of considerable interest to practitioners elsewhere.