The decline of insect biodiversity and biomass has become a much-discussed public issue in recent years, although this trend has been evident for decades. Even though the reasons for the decline in insect populations are manifold and cannot be attributed to a single cause, the use of pesticides is considered to be one of the main drivers. In this context, the joint publication by scientists from the RobustNature consortium (Justus Liebig University Giessen, Goethe University Frankfurt and LOEWE Centre for Translational Biogenomics) summarises the current findings on the sublethal effects of pesticides on insects. These lower concentration ranges already have an impact on the physiology of insects and their behaviour and thus also on their health and reproductive success. Manifestation of the effects depends on various factors such as age, sex and species. Despite the importance of these consequences, the effects of sublethal concentrations and their impact on the decline in insect populations have not yet been sufficiently investigated and need therefore be given more attention in research.