SOS insects conference: Conservation and reintroduction. What are the challenges and how can we meet them?

Insects are present in most terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. They are the animals with the greatest diversity, abundance and biomass. 73% of the animal species described are insects. They provide a wide range of crucial ecosystem functions and services.

However, many species are highly threatened with extinction, with only 0.12% protected at European Union level. Environmental changes brought about by human activities are upsetting the balance of ecosystem services, leading to more negative impacts on health, agriculture and food, and reinforcing a generally unfavourable perception of insects.

And yet..,local conservation initiatives have been in place for several decades to reverse this trend. While for a long time reintroductions (or similar actions) were mainly aimed at mammals and birds, in the case of insects they could be more closely linked to habitat conservation actions.

Based on the Crau cricket (Prionotropis rhodanica), an endemic species, and the LIFE SOS Crau locust came to an end after 10 years of action, the SOS insectes conference, aims to :

• Share knowledge acquired
• Identifying gaps in insect conservation
• Explore all the stages of a successful reintroduction, including analysis of threats, scientific monitoring and management of the species and its habitat

Laurent Tatin, co-organiser of the conference and associate researcher in the EECAR-IMBE, We are invited to discover the challenges and solutions involved in conserving endangered species and their habitats.

Contact: thierry.dutoit@imbe.fr