The fen grasshopper is one of Britain's rarest insects, confined to a handful of wetland sites. Acoustic monitoring guides conservation management of this vulnerable species.
Insect welfare is a developing field, but there is growing recognition that insects may have capacity for nociception and basic negative valence states. Regardless of individual welfare considerations, the population-level welfare of fen grasshoppers is severely compromised by habitat loss and inappropriate management. Each population extinction represents an irreversible welfare and conservation loss. Acoustic monitoring is a non-invasive, welfare-positive survey technique that does not require handling or disturbing individual animals. Management informed by acoustic surveys can maintain habitat quality that supports thriving populations — a welfare outcome at the population level that benefits all fen invertebrate communities.