A recent study by entomologist Robert R. Dunn published in Conservation Biology indicates that insect extinction rates could be on the increase. The study estimates that 44,000 insect species have been lost during the past 600 years. Insects often play vital roles in natural processes such as plant pollination, decomposition, and soil processing. Species losses could trigger wider ecological instability.

Find out more: Mass Extinction of Insects May Be Occurring Undetected (National Geographic)