TY - GEN A1 - Cardoso, Pedro A1 - Barton, Philip S. A1 - Birkhofer, Klaus A1 - Chichorro, Filipe A1 - Deacon, Charl A1 - Fartmann, Thomas A1 - Fukushima, Caroline S. A1 - Gaigher, René A1 - Habel, Jan C. T1 - Scientists' warning to humanity on insect extinctions T2 - Biological Conservation N2 - Here we build on the manifesto‘World Scientists’Warning to Humanity, issued by the Alliance of WorldScientists. As a group of conservation biologists deeply concerned about the decline of insect populations, wehere review what we know about the drivers of insect extinctions, their consequences, and how extinctions cannegatively impact humanity.We are causing insect extinctions by driving habitat loss, degradation, and fragmentation, use of polluting andharmful substances, the spread of invasive species, global climate change, direct overexploitation, and co-ex-tinction of species dependent on other species.With insect extinctions, we lose much more than species. We lose abundance and biomass of insects, diversityacross space and time with consequent homogenization, large parts of the tree of life, unique ecological functionsand traits, and fundamental parts of extensive networks of biotic interactions. Such losses lead to the decline ofkey ecosystem services on which humanity depends. From pollination and decomposition, to being resources fornew medicines, habitat quality indication and many others, insects provide essential and irreplaceable services.We appeal for urgent action to close key knowledge gaps and curb insect extinctions. An investment in research programs that generate local, regional and global strategies that counter this trend is essential. Solutions areavailable and implementable, but urgent action is needed now to match our intentions. KW - Arthropods KW - Biodiversity loss KW - Centinelan extinctions KW - Drivers of extinction KW - Ecosystem services KW - Threatened species Y1 - 2020 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108426 IS - 242 ER -