The collapse of insects by Reuters

The most diverse group of organisms on the planet are in trouble, with recent research suggesting insect populations are declining at an unprecedented rate.

Amid deforestation, pesticide use, artificial light pollution and climate change, these critters are struggling — along with the crops, flowers and other animals that rely on them to survive.

Here we visualise the "tree of life" and show how insects significantly outnumber all other animals. W e also use data to explain how they are drastically under assessed compared to vertebrate species. o while scientists are certain that insect abundance is dropping fast, they aren’t entirely sure which insects are most at risk.