Why are there so many species of insects?

Описание: We see insects just about everywhere. If you step into your garden you will almost certainly encounter insects. It could be an ant scurrying past, a fly buzzing around your head, or maybe you’ll see a caterpillar munching a plant leaf. There are likely to be many more that you can't see.

Insects collectively are the most diverse group of animals on the planet. There are about one million described insect species in the world with many more to come. Scientists estimate the total number of insect species in the world to be somewhere around five million. We need more entomologists!

As well as being amazingly diverse, insects are also distributed widely. They are found on all continents (even Antarctica), in all terrestrial ecosystems (from mountain tops to jungles to caves) and also inhabit freshwater systems.

Why are there so many and why have they spread so far? There are a few reasons. The exoskeleton of insects allows them to survive in dry climates without losing too much moisture. Most adult insects can fly, so they can disperse quickly when necessary. Most insects have very short life cycles so they can reproduce rapidly and colonise a new area quickly.

Insects are also small, allowing them to occupy tiny ecological niches that larger organisms couldn’t. One of the major reasons insects are so diverse and well travelled is because they have been evolving for a very long time. Are they as old as the dinosaurs?

0:34 Where are insects found?
1:08 The incredible diversity of insects
1:49 Some insects are tiny!
2:23 Metamorphosis is a great survival strategy
3:34 Flight
4:29 Insects & dinosaurs!
5:36 Extinction events
5:50 The importance of insects

Credits:
Monarch map: https://xerces.org/monarchs
"Trevor": Ray Harrington/Unsplash


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