Nairobi, April 14 -- Insects, though small and often overlooked, are essential to life on Earth. They pollinate crops, sustain food chains, and break down dead matter, helping to keep ecosystems in balance. Yet these vital creatures now face a growing threat: rising global temperatures are pushing many species to the brink of survival.

A new study has found that nearly 70 percent of all insect species living in the tropics are already surviving at the edge of their heat tolerance, with little capacity to adapt further.

Kim Holzmann, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Wurzburg, and her team turned to mountains, nature's own laboratories, where temperatures change rapidly over short distances. Their study spanned the coastal l...