Scientists Push to Save Spiders Before It's Too Late

Almost 90% of insects and spiders in North America have no conservation status, and scientists say that gap could trigger ecosystem collapse.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst examined all 99,312 known insect and spider species north of Mexico. What they found shocked them: nearly nine out of ten species have never been assessed for conservation needs.

"We simply have no idea how they are doing," says Laura Figueroa, assistant professor of environmental conservation and senior author of the study published in science journal PNAS. Among the small number of protected species, butterflies and dragonflies get most of the attention while spiders receive almost nothing.

The research comes nearly a decade after a landmark 2017 study revealed a 75% decline in flying insects across German nature reserves. That news sparked global alarm about an "insect apocalypse," but the new findings suggest conservation efforts still haven't caught up with the crisis.

The oversight matters more than most people realize. Spiders control populations of flies, mosquitoes, and crop-destroying pests that would otherwise devastate agriculture. They feed birds and lizards, moving energy through entire food webs. Only about 25 to 30 spider species out of 50,000 worldwide are actually dangerous to humans.

Graduate student Wes Walsh, who sports a spider tattoo, co-authored the study. "Insects and arachnids are more than objects of fear," he says. "We need to appreciate them for their ecological importance."

The Ripple Effect

The researchers found hope in an unexpected place: bird conservation. When hunters, birdwatchers, nonprofits, and other groups united around protecting birds, the coalition achieved remarkable success. Figueroa believes the same approach could work for insects and spiders.

States focused on extractive industries like mining and fossil fuels showed the least protection for these creatures. But that gap also reveals an opportunity for advocates to build broader support across different communities and interests.

The study has already begun shifting conversations in conservation circles. More researchers are calling for basic data collection and monitoring programs to track spider and insect populations before they disappear unnoticed.

Building that coalition won't be easy, but the alternative is watching ecosystems unravel one tiny species at a time.