Insects & Their Role in the Ecosystem

Pollination

• Pollination is the process of fertilization used by most plants on Earth. Trees, fruit, flowers and herbs would cease to exist without insects. By flying or crawling from plant to plant, insects spread tiny quantities of pollen. Some insects also help to spread plant seeds. Though honeybees and butterflies are most commonly associated with plant pollination, all insects aid in either pollination of plants or spreading of plant seeds. If insects no longer existed, many plant species would become extinct because they would be unable to reproduce.

Waste Removal

• Detritus feeders are animals that eat dead or decaying organic matter, including skin cells, fecal matter and dead animals. Numerous species of insects, including beetles, eat detritus. Though people are frequently disturbed by the sight of maggots and other insects on a dead animal, these insects play a vital role in the ecosystem by eliminating waste. Without detritus-eating insects, the planet would quickly be overrun with dead bodies and other decaying organic material.

Food

• Insects are an important component of many animals' diets. Reptiles, birds, some primates, fish and numerous other animals eat insects. Many traditional human societies rely on insects as a vital component of their diets. Insects provide quick nutrition and, because they are plentiful, are a preferred source of nutrition for many animals.

Parasitism

• Numerous insect species function as parasites, both of other insects and other organisms. Many species of wasps, for example, lay their eggs in the living bodies of beetles and other insects. Mosquitoes drink the blood of mammals, and some moths and beetles eat hardwood trees. Though this behavior may seem problematic for the survival of Earth's resources, parasites actually fill an important ecological niche. They help prevent overpopulation of some species and contribute to the development of evolutionary adaptations. Biologists now believe that the gene for sickle cell anemia also helps to prevent its carriers from developing malaria. By forcing hosts to develop adaptations to prevent parasitism over the course of many generations, insects contribute to Earth's biodiversity.