The objects of revulsion, disgust and fear are frequently members of the arachnid class–think spiders, scorpions and harvestmen (daddy long legs). However, they are essential towards the prosperity of the ecosystems.

Considering the plummeting global biodiversity, and some even refer to it as the insect apocalypse, two ecologists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst chose to see what is generally happening with insects and arachnids in the United States, only to find huge gaps in the data. Their study, which was recently published in PNAS, suggests that an imminent need to evaluate, preserve and appreciate insects and arachnids, which is a major support of planetary health.

The senior author of the paper is Laura Figueroa, an assistant professor of environmental conservation in the UMass Amherst, who writes that insects and arachnids are basic to human society. They are useful in the pollination and control of pests biologically; they may also be used as environmental indicators to monitor air and water quality, and have become so ingrained in various other cultures all over the world that we can think of Aragog in the Harry Potter books, as an example. Many humans are interested in popular charismatic animals on earth such as the lion and the panda which deserved the international conservation interest rightfully. Since insects and arachnids do not normally receive the same attention, we were interested in how they were doing.

To determine the health of our creepier crawlier neighbors, Figueroa and her graduate student, Wes Walsh, the lead author of the paper, compiled conservation assessments of the 99312 known insect and arachnids species in North America, north of Mexico.

Findings mind boggling

As Figueroa says, almost 90 percent of the species of insects and arachnids, or 88.5 percent to be exact, have none of the conservation status. “We do not even know how they are doing. Little is known concerning the conservation requirements of the majority of the insects and arachnids in North America.”

The small data available was skewed to aquatic species that are crucial to water quality surveillance (mayflies, stoneflies and caddisflies), and more popular insect fauna such as butterflies and dragonflies got a disproportionate portion of protection.

Even the arachnids are not enjoying conservation; most states do not even protect one species of the spider group. More information and security to the insects, yet arachnids as well, says Walsh.

Another finding made by the team was that states that were most dependent on extractive industries, e.g., mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction, had lower chances to protect either insects or arachnids but those with more eco-centric views by the populace were protecting more species.

Comparatively, Figueroa refers to the conservation of birds, which has been much more successful in conservation and preservation of species. According to the research, it turns out that you will get the best conservation efforts when there is a broad and diverse coalition of people. In the example of the birds, they were the hunters, the bird watchers, the nonprofit organizations and many more constituencies that joined their hands in an effort to achieve a unified objective.

Insects and arachnids are not things to be feared, as Walsh ignores with a gorgeous spider tattoo on his arm. It is time to value them and recognize their ecological significance, and this should start with the gathering of more information and the recognition that they deserve conservation.

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