Insect biodiversity in Brazil is falling

[Judi Lynn]

Study points to reduction in number of terrestrial insects

Published in 28/08/2022 - 09:16 By Camila Maciel - Repórter da Agência Brasil - São Paulo

The biodiversity of terrestrial insects in Brazil, which includes animals such as butterflies, bees, and beetles, is on a downward trend. This is one of the results of a survey carried out by researchers from the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) and the federal universities of São Carlos and Rio Grande do Sul. The information was gathered from 45 scientific pieces of research on the theme, besides questionnaires sent to researchers who have been studying insects for years.

"If you wipe out insects, you break all of nature's food chains at the base. If you don't have caterpillars for the birds to eat, the birds will decline. If you don't have insects for wasps to feed on, their number will fall, and once it does, they start to cause an imbalance that can lead, for example, to an increase in pests, both in cities and in agriculture," André Freitas, professor at the Institute of Biology at Unicamp and one of the project's researchers, warns.

The study presents 75 trends - most of them decreasing - over 22 years for terrestrial insects. For aquatic insects, the study presents 75 trends over 11 years on average. Most of them indicate a reduction in the number of animals. The work was supported by the São Paulo State Research Foundation (Fapesp) and the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). The text was published this week in the international journal Biology Letters.

Among terrestrial insects, for example, the studies indicated a tendency for population decline or loss of species diversity. The situation is different in aquatic groups, in which the number of individuals or species has remained stable or, in some cases, increased. The researchers, however, emphasize that this difference should be reassessed in the future.

More:
https://agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/https%3A//agenciabrasil.ebc.com.br/en/node/1478447

[Ferryboat]

1. This is the canary in the coal mine

Studies in Germany confirm the same.

Used to be when you gas up you clean the windshield. Not so much anymore.

Unofficial nickname is the splat factor.

[mike_c]

2. insect abundance and diversity is declining around the world

Trophic cascades have begun as well, with insectivorous birds, fish, and mammals all beginning to decline. The signal is getting pretty damned strong.