Samples of all the studied insects were collected in the field for DNA barcoding, a method that allows scientists to identify animal species based on their genetic information.

The research showed that the heat tolerance of different groups of insects, such as moths, flies, and beetles, varies significantly. These differences are linked to the unique structure and thermal stability of proteins in insect bodies. It was found that these properties are relatively conserved in evolutionary terms and can only change to a limited extent.

The results, published in the journal Nature, indicate that tropical insects have a limited ability to adapt to rising temperatures caused by climate change. An increase in temperature could have a major impact on insect populations, especially in regions with high biodiversity. Since insects play crucial roles in ecosystems—such as pollination, decomposition of organic matter, and regulating the populations of other organisms—changes in their numbers could have significant consequences for entire ecosystems.

Special attention is given to the Amazon region, where further temperature increases are expected to cause critical heat stress for a significant portion of insect species. If global warming continues unchecked, it is predicted that up to half of the insect species in this region could be at risk.

Insects make up about 70% of all known animal species, with most of them living in tropical regions. However, there is still a lack of experimental data on the temperature tolerance of tropical insects, as well as limited research on many of their groups.

To address this gap, an international team of scientists, supported by the German Research Foundation, conducted a study examining the temperature limits of more than 2,000 insect species. Field data were collected in 2022 and 2023 at various altitudes in East Africa and South America, including mountain forests, tropical rainforests, and lowland savannas.

In addition to measuring temperature limits, the researchers analyzed the genomes of many species, which helped them study protein stability and understand why some groups of insects are better able to withstand heat than others.