GUANGZHOU, March 24 -- A catalog of insects from south China's Guangdong Province has been published, providing deeper insights into the province's rich biodiversity, which includes numerous endemic species, according to local authorities.

The catalog, a finding of Guangdong's first-ever systematic investigation into the insect species in the province by the end of 2021, includes 12,093 insect species in 3,198 genera, according to the provincial forestry administration.

This is the most comprehensive catalog of insect species in Guangdong, a biodiversity hotspot located in the south of the Nanling Mountains and east of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, the administration said.

Insects inhabit different trophic levels in the food web and play an important role in maintaining the diversity and stability of the ecosystem. The catalog of insect species is of great scientific and practical significance for developing and utilizing insect resources, maintaining ecological security, and promoting ecological development and restoration, according to the forestry administration.

It added that Guangdong will further look into the insect resources of the province and work on compiling a series of monographs centering on the insects to promote the study of insect diversity and environmental protection in the Nanling Mountains and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.