Citizen science for insect conservation

Insects are key indicators of biodiversity and environmental health in terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. However, insect monitoring programmes are limited by time, financial support, and/or adequate methods. Work is needed to integrate citizen/community science and accompanying computational approaches for targeted monitoring of many insect taxa over greater spatial and temporal scales. Two case studies, from the UK and Mexico, are presented here as examples of how citizen science has contributed to strengthening insect monitoring. Opportunistic sighting of wildlife is a main form of citizen science in the UK and has led to widened participation, supported through technology. Long-term monitoring of insects in Mexico has been focused either on single taxa or a subset of species in functional groups, with mega-diverse insect groups largely ignored in the national conservation agenda. A priority for insect conservation in Mexico is building capacity to cover more taxa and monitor occupancy and abundance across key habitats throughout rapidly changing landscapes. Development of a robust monitoring scheme may require openness to emerging technologies and knowledge domains. Practitioners can greatly contribute to growing the volunteer base and coordinating networks of community scientists, which is critical in the tropics and in developing regions where insect diversity is often high.