Impact of climate change on agriculturally important insects$

Abstract

Progressive escalation of the overall temperature across the atmosphere, oceans, and terrestrial ecosystems over a three-decade period is being considered as Climate Change. A primary catalyst of this environmental transformation is the mounting concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, which precipitates the phenomenon known as global warming. According to IPCC, India and other countries in South Asia are most vulnerable to climate change. India in particular, has been experiencing adverse effects of climate change for the last two decades. The consequences of elevated CO2 levels accompanied by rising temperatures and altered precipitation and relative humidity patterns exert a profound influence on the intricate web of interactions between agricultural crop pests and their ecosystems. The intricate interplay of these factors extends to the biology of insects, manifesting in observable shifts in vital metrics such as the number of insect generations per annum, the dynamics of insect-plant relationships, interactions with natural enemies, risk of invasive species incursions, and the transmission of plant diseases by insects as vectors. Honeybees are the major pollinators and help increase yields for many tropical crops. Being ectothermic, their surrounding temperature influences the activity of bees and therefore climate change will have far-reaching impact on bees coupled with their floral resources. Transformation of insect dynamics, due to climate change, necessitates a strategic shift in our pest management strategies. The pressing research priorities that underscore the imperative of comprehending how climatic alterations fundamentally impact the complex relationship between insects and agricultural crops are discussed in this narrative.