The Biology of Insect Survival: Innate Immunity, Defensive Behaviors, and Environmental Stress Resistance

Insects face many threats from predators and environmental challenges, so they have evolved many survival strategies. This article talks about how insects use a combination of physical, chemical and behavioural defences to survive and reproduce when faced with predators. Insects have camouflage, mimicry and protective body parts to help them blend in, or make them more difficult to eat. Protection through the chemicals is also very important.  Some insects make their own toxins and others can get their toxins from the plants they feed on. These can be complemented by warning signals, which indicate to predators that they are toxic. Behavioural defences are helpful, too. Insects can escape rapidly, freeze in place, drop to the ground or even show as a dead called thanatosis to avoid being eaten or damaged. If the group can cooperate to make it safe, social contact can be a benefit. These methods can be influenced by the pressure from predators. Even when they're not attacking, predators can still change the ways insects move, eat and reproduce. Insects can instantly sniff out and see any potential threats. Some animals have features, such fur that reflects light or the ability to hide their waste, that help them stay hidden from predators. Often, insects must decide between surviving and other important things they want to do, such as growing and reproducing. All these changes help individual insects survive and affect ecosystems. Insects are very responsive to their environments and these two factors display how they adapt to new challenges.