Insects in the tropics are already near their heat limits – climate change could push many beyond survival

Many insects, like this malachite butterfly, face critical heat stress under future temperatures. Photo by Kim Holzmann, CC BY

Insects make up to 90% of all animal species on the planet, and most of them can be found in the tropics, the regions around the equator. Yet we still know surprisingly little about how these species will cope with rising temperatures driven by climate change.

I am an animal ecologist, studying how organisms respond to climate change. My research aims to provide a better understanding about whether and how insects might be affected by heat. I was part of a team of scientists who studied more than 2,000 insect species along elevational gradients, from lowland areas up to high mountain regions, in Kenya and Peru.