J, Environmental assessment: Stonefly (Plecoptera). I, Dye production: Cochineal scale insect ( Dactylopius coccus). H, Vaccine development, including coronavirus: Alfalfa looper moth ( Autographa californica). G, Research: Fruit fly ( Drosophila melanogaster). F, Silk production: Silk moth ( Bombyx mori). D, Biocontrol: Ladybird beetle ( Harmonia sp.). C, Decomposer: Dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). A, Pollinator: Honey bee ( Apis mellifera). Examples of insects that are beneficial to humans ( A– J), and examples of amazing things that insects do ( K– T). Furthermore, insects are one of the most easily accessible forms of wildlife, with a diversity of morphology, life history, and behavior that seems ready-made for inspiring appreciation of nature and its conservation ( Fig. Insects have become essential subjects in medical and basic biological research. Insects also provide humans with honey, silk, wax, dyes, and, in many cultures, food.
1 A– J), which together have at least an annual value of ∼$70 billion (2020 valuation) in the United States ( 2). Humans and their agriculture rely heavily on such “ecosystem services” provided by insects ( Fig. As consumers of waste products, insects are essential to the recycling of nutrients. The majority of flowering plants, the dominant component of most terrestrial ecosystems, depend on insects for pollination and hence reproduction. As herbivores, predators, and parasites, they are major determinants of the distribution and abundance of innumerable plants and animals. As prey, they are critical to the survival of countless other species, including the majority of bats, birds, and freshwater fishes ( 1). Insects constitute the vast majority of known animal species and are ubiquitous across terrestrial ecosystems, playing key ecological roles.
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