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

April 4, 2026 Insects in the tropics are already near their heat limits. Climate change could push many beyond survival by Kim Holzmann, The Conversation edited by Lisa Lock , reviewed by Andrew Zinin Lisa Lock scientific editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process Andrew Zinin lead editor Meet our editorial team Behind our editorial process Editors' notes This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: fact-checked trusted source written by researcher(s) proofread The GIST Add as preferred source Many insects, like this malachite butterfly, face critical heat stress under future temperatures. Credit: 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. Using a field experiment, we measured the heat tolerance of insects across many different groups. This is important because most previous studies either combine inconsistent datasets or focus on a single species. Our goal was to understand how entire insect communities respond to heat. We looked at a large variety of insects, such as flies, bees, beetles, butterflies and grasshoppers, to name just a few. We found that many are likely to face dangerous levels of heat stress. This was true even under conservative assumptions, including the possibility that species move into cooler habitats. In parts of tropical Africa, where temperatures are already high and rising quickly , this could put large numbers of species at risk. Flies are the most vulnerable group. Our findings suggest that many tropical insects, especially those in lowland regions, are already living close to their thermal limits and may struggle to survive further warming. Tropical regions, including much of Africa, contain the greatest diversity of insect life on Earth. The loss of these species would have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, agriculture and human well-being. Insects are essential to ecosystems—and to people. They play a key role in food production through pollination. While bees are the best-known pollinators, ants, flies and beetles also make major contributions . They are also nature's recyclers. Dung beetles , for example, break down waste and carcasses, helping prevent the spread of disease and maintaining healthy soils. Insects also form the backbone of food webs. They are both predator