A new study warns of a silent risk of climate change. Extreme heat could lead to the collapse of thousands of tropical insects

Researchers analyzed thousands of species in Peru and Kenya and found that tropical insects have very narrow thermal tolerance margins. If temperatures continue to rise, up to 50% of these populations could collapse from heat stress before the end of the century. When talking about the impact of global warming, the focus is often on disappearing glaciers, warming oceans, or degrading forests. However, one of the most delicate effects could be occurring on a much smaller scale. A study published in Nature warns that thousands of species of tropical insects live very close to their thermal limit. If the temperatures forecast for the end of the century are met, a significant part of these populations could collapse after a few hours of exposure to extreme heat.

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