ABSTRACT
Insects are functionally important ecological entities, yet are facing a major global decline. Under-sampled and poorly monitored, the magnitude of their decline is hard to determine, especially in the Global South and over much of the tropics. Yet, the interest in insect conservation is fast-growing and increasingly recognised as critical in the face of global change (mainly land use and climate change). Improving and promoting more monitoring of insect populations and assessing richness will be key to adjusting conservation plans for the best chance of success. Embracing emerging technologies such as machine learning will be critical for long-term insect conservation, with an emphasis on gathering data of conservation relevance. The public wields influence over governmental policies and the behaviour of multinational corporations. This means that policy and cultivating awareness through education is critical to future success of insect conservation. The most important conservation step is to bridge the gap between conservation theory and action.
