Metamorphosis: How Insects Are Changing Our WorldBy Adrian Washbourne, Erica McAlister, Clayton VIC: CSIRO Publishing, 2024. 216 pp. ISBN: 978-1-4863-1890-2

Abstract

<p>Insects literally build ecosystems around us. They drive soil health, plant reproduction and productivity; they are founda-tions of food chains; they recycle nutrients; they help humans stay alive and healthy; and they provide us with wonder, excite-ment and a sense of belonging. Insects make up around 99% of animals on Earth, but are too often ignored. Scholars who try to quantify ecosystem services or argue for better biodiversity conservation policies often overlook the importance of insects in the system they advocate for. Popular science and mainstream media give a lot of airtime to natural history, biodiversity and conservation of other taxonomic groups. But insects, on the rare occasion they exist in our general consciousness, are mostly seen as 'invisibles' or 'pests'. Our ingrained attitude to insects is to remove them, ignore them and minimise them. With the exception of a few charismatic species that do not represent the full range of insect diversity, we engage minimally with the world of insects.</p>