Insects

Being the most diverse group of organisms on the planet, more than a million species have already been described and they constitute more than half of all living creatures. Although still highly debated, the latest estimated extant species numbers somewhere near 5.5million worldwide. For the most part, we only know these species by their name and still very little, if not none, of their natural histories and population dynamics. They can be found in almost all types of environments although only a small number can be found in the oceans. Almost all insects start off as an egg which, depending to the group it belongs, undergoes several stages of development called metamorphosis. The typical mode of movement of insects ranges from walking, flying, and sometimes swimming. Insects carry out complex ecological functions that indirectly (but most often evident) benefit humankind. Many insects are agents of decomposition that recycles nutrients in the environment, others are essential in food production as they pollinate many flowering plants that produce the food we eat. Insects are crucial in the life cycle of many organisms including us humans, taking them out of the overall terrestrial biosphere can have catastrophic devastation.