ABSTRACT
Urban entomology historically had been the domain of those working to exterminate iconic urban pests of human health concern, including mosquitoes, bedbugs, and roaches. The benefits of urban gardens to beneficial insects, such as pollinators and natural enemies, point to the potential importance of urban areas for insect conservation programs. Studies of insects along urban to rural gradients and in habitats within the urban matrix have advanced our understanding of how urban environments might selectively filter species with various functional traits. Key to advancing our understanding of urban insects, however, is continued support of and support from insect taxonomists. Studies of urban insects within urban landscapes have tended towards two broad types. First, researchers have looked at the influence of within-patch characteristics and/or the influence of the surrounding urban landscape on insect communities. A second set of studies have compared insect communities between different habitat types – land uses – within the city.
