Insects' inability to adapt to climate change may wipe them out: Study

Insects may have to become "climate refugees", migrating to other parts of the world, or perish with climate change, suggests a new study.

- Gena Soh

The six-legged critters are found to be able to adapt to only marginal temperature changes. This means any drastic heating or cooling of the earth brought on by climate change would likely spell doom for them.

In a study of more than 100 species of insects, an international team led by researchers at the University of Bristol found that for every 1 deg C shift in the environment's temperature, insects could internally adjust their survival temperature range by only 0.092 deg C when temperatures rise, and 0.147 deg C when the environment cools.