Benign insects are ones that have little or no direct impact on:
- Economic plants (e.g. fruits, vegetables, ornamentals)
- Economic or pet animals (e.g. dogs, cats, cows)
- People.
They often eat weeds, recycle dead or decaying plants or do other things that do not
directly impact mankind. They oftentimes, however, are vital to the overall ecology of a
forest or other areas which indirectly affect mankind and may even be very important to
our ultimate well-being. In some cases, they add to the beauty (such as butterflies) and
wonder of the world we live in.
Another significant fact about benigns is that they are the majority of all insects
(over 95%).