Cameras that photograph insects overnight and AI that identifies them are among a new generation of tools that could finally allow scientists to track whether the world's plan to save nature is working for its most overlooked creatures. A global team of scientists has found that 23 biodiversity targets agreed by world governments to protect and restore nature by 2030 are well-designed and could—if met—help reverse falling insect numbers.

However, the researchers highlight that dragonflies and damselflies are the only insect group to have been fully assessed for extinction risk globally, illustrating that very few measurements used to track progress are sensitive enough to detect changes in insect populations. The study, published in Conservation Letters, recommends the United Nations establish a dedicated working group to develop insect-focused measurements, and outlines several practical tools that could be used to create a worldwide picture of insect health.

Dr. Andrew Bladon, lead author from the University of Reading, said, "Insects are the foundations of life on Earth, and we are only just beginning to understand how fast we are losing them.

"Technology is opening up possibilities that simply did not exist a decade ago. We can now monitor insects at a scale and speed that was unimaginable to previous generations of scientists. The big question is whether governments are willing to use new technology to hold themselves to account. A plan to save nature that cannot measure whether nature is actually recovering is not good enough."