Insect Diversity, Distribution, and Abundance

The great diversity of insect life is recognised widely, but assessing and enumerating that richness and preparing inventories of insect species is difficult. Many insect species are poorly known and difficult to differentiate from their close relatives; many, indeed, are undescribed, very localised in distribution, ecologically specialised, and their biology wholly unknown. The problems of assessing and characterising insect diversity and conservation needs are discussed and exemplified to demonstrate the many uncertainties that are often difficult for non-entomologists to appreciate. Shortage of taxonomic specialists leaves many gaps in a detailed understanding of insect species richness, consequently hampering incorporation of insects in conservation policy and practice.