Conserving the Invisible Common: Advances and Challenges of the Insect Conservation in Brazil

HIGHLIGHTS

• Most Brazilian entomology has focused on the Atlantic Forest biome.

• Research on the Amazon and Pantanal biomes should be increased given their biodiversity.

• The Hymenoptera is the most studied taxon in Brazil for conservation.

• Aquatic insects are widely used in official monitoring and conservation programs.

• Insect recovery programs should provide effective conservation.

Abstract

In 2019, B. Jarvis paraphrased E. Wilson in that “insects are a case study in terms of the invisible importance of the common”. However, threats to insect diversity are rapidly increasing worldwide, and there is a significant challenge to halt or reverse this process. This is especially true in tropical regions where insect diversity is large, but resources are scarce and conservation policy is poorly developed. In Brazil, studies into insect conservation have grown over the last 30 years and, in this contribution, we use available literature to ask: i) what advances have been made; ii) where are the major knowledge gaps and iii) what are the priorities for action? Brazilian studies into insect conservation reflect international trends with respect to levels of ecological organization and a focus on taxonomic conservation. In general, research is restricted to the main Brazilian hotspots and to the states with better infrastructure. Hymenoptera, Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera are the main orders studied. Work on Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera and Odonata has increased in recent years and currently are the main insect orders covered by official management initiatives due to their role as indicators of water quality. Priority areas for future work include the promotion of species conservation and ways to increase resource contribution from the private sector through legal instruments that can support integrative public policies for insect species conservation.

Keywords:
Conservation strategies; entomofauna; systematic review.