Invertebrates are in crisis, and we need innovative solutions to assist those working on invertebrate conservation translocations. Unfortunately, our review of the IUCN Global Conservation Translocation Perspectives (GCTP) series shows that, of the 421 case studies recorded between 2008 and 2021, only 8% feature invertebrates. Within these, only four of the 32 recognised invertebrate phyla are represented, with the majority of translocation efforts (63%) focused on insects. Two orders, Orthoptera and Lepidoptera, account for more than half of all invertebrate translocation case studies, leaving the vast majority of invertebrates neglected by translocation science and practice.

The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland conservation department currently runs invertebrate breeding for translocation programmes for two insect and one snail species. Over the past five years, we have gathered a wealth of experience and data on these species, and invertebrate conservation translocations in general. Here, we combine this knowledge with a review of the challenges faced by the invertebrate case studies in the ICUN GCTP series to demonstrate that the major issues facing invertebrate translocation programmes are: a lack of life history data; a lack of veterinary expertise in invertebrate disease; the often short and multistage lives of many invertebrate species; the challenges of post-release monitoring and forming exit strategies for many invertebrate taxa; and the lack of funding for invertebrate work. We suggest that increasing the number of invertebrate translocation programmes would itself be an innovation, and highlight other potential methodological innovations to improve outcomes for some of our most crucial ecosystem players.