Island ant communities present indicators of unseen ‘insect apocalypse’

A brand new strategy to analysing museum specimens has revealed a large decline in Fiji’s native ant species because the arrival of people to the islands, a new study has discovered.

According to the worldwide group of researchers, together with senior creator Professor Alexander Mikheyev from The Australian National University (ANU), the examine highlights the unseen results of insect biodiversity loss.

“Global conservation efforts often focus on larger, more photogenic animals, and on easier to monitor areas, like temperate habitats,” he stated.

“However, ants are part of ‘little things that run the world’ and are critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems. Studies like this one are an important step in identifying the reasons behind the so-called insect apocalypse – the widespread disappearance of insect diversity and abundance seen in many parts of the world.” 

While it’s historically tough to trace historic inhabitants developments from knowledge collected within the current day, the group discovered a approach round this throughout many species by learning small fragments of DNA from museum collections.

“It can be difficult to estimate historical changes to insect populations, because with few exceptions, we haven’t been directly monitoring populations over time,” fellow senior creator Professor Evan Economo, from the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) and the University of Maryland stated. 

“We took a new approach to this problem by analysing the genomes of many species in parallel from museum specimens collected recently. The genomes hold evidence of whether populations are growing or shrinking, allowing us to reconstruct community-wide changes.

“We found 79 per cent of ant species native to Fiji have experienced a decline in population, while introduced species are exploding in numbers.”

Professor Mikheyev stated the museum collections constructed throughout many years of fieldwork had been important to the examine, regardless of the problem in utilising historic DNA, which degrades over time. 

“As our scientific toolbox expands, we are able to capture more information from biodiversity collections, so it’s essential that we continue investing in and maintaining these vital resources,” he stated.

According to the examine’s authors, whereas islands are hotspots of biodiversity, many island species have developed traits that make them extra delicate to environmental modifications.

“Being closed, isolated ecosystems, islands are expected to feel the effects of human impact faster, so they are kind of a canary in the coal mine,” senior creator Dr Cong Liu from OIST stated.

“Most recorded animal extinctions have historically been from island groups.”

While the Fijian archipelago offered a helpful setting to review these results, the researchers consider their outcomes might be an indication of extra world developments.

The examine is printed in Science. 

This article was first printed by ANU Reporter.