We are pleased to release an overview of the EIANZ 2025 Insects in Crisis Symposium.

The Insects in Crisis Symposium was held in Canberra in July 2025, bringing together experts to address the alarming decline of insect species across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The symposium revealed that approximately 150 Australian insect species became extinct in 2024 alone, with catastrophic events like the 2019-20 bushfires destroying around 60 billion insects and driving several beetle species to extinction.

Fewer than half of Australia's estimated 200,000-plus insect species have been formally described, making conservation efforts difficult under current legislation designed for vertebrates and plants. Experts discussed solutions such as reforming environmental laws, increasing funding for taxonomic research, protecting micro-habitats, and improving collaboration between scientists, policymakers, and land managers.

Among other recommendations contained in the Communiqué, the symposium emphasised that immediate coordinated action is essential to prevent further extinctions and maintain the biodiversity upon which healthy ecosystems depend.

Our thanks go out to the symposium technical committee and all speakers who contributed to this important and timely event.

2025 Insects in Crisis Communiqué