07 September 2017 4 8K Report

Alarming declines of insects elicited a vivid public debate, particularly in Germany (#Insektensterben), but also in many other countries (see http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/where-have-all-insects-gone ). While anecdotal evidence and personal experience definitely confirm this decline, reliable long-term monitoring data are scarce. Likewise, the causes are unclear: insecticides, particularly neonicotinoids, are certainly among the usual suspects, but many other factors (e.g. air and light pollution) contribute. The problem with neonics is that they are highly persistent and active in very small doses. Smaller insect species should be even more affected than bigger ones, and I wonder if there are any data from malaise traps or light traps which could be used to investigate this hypothesis.

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/where-have-all-insects-gone

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