The number of flying insects in the UK has fallen by almost 60% since 2004, according to a study that counts spots on car license plates. Scientists behind the study said the fall was “terrifying” because life on Earth depends on insects.
The results of many thousands of trips by members of the public in the summer of 2021 were compared with the results of 2004. The decline was highest in England – 65%, with Wales registering 55% fewer insects and Scotland – 28%.
With only two major studies so far, researchers have said that these years may be unusually good or bad for insects, potentially distorting data, so it was vital that the analysis be repeated every year to build a long-term trend. But the new results are in line with other insect reduction estimates, including a survey of car windscreens in rural Denmark, which took place every year from 1997 to 2017 and found an 80% drop in abundance.
The participants in the British study downloaded the Bugs Matter application, which allowed them to record their travels and the number of bugs crushed on their license plates. The next study will take place from June to August.
The participants in the British study downloaded an application that allowed them to record their travels and the number of bugs crushed on their license plates. Photo: Buglife / PA
“This vital study suggests that the number of flying insects is declining by an average of 34% per decade – which is appalling,” said Matt Shardlow of Buglife, who conducted the study with the Kent Wildlife Trust (KWT). “We can no longer delay action, for the health and well-being of future generations this requires a political and social response. It is essential that we now stop reducing biodiversity. “
KWT’s Paul Hadway said: “The results should shock and worry us all. We are seeing a reduction in the number of insects, which reflects the huge threats and loss of wildlife on a wider scale across the country. We now need action for all of our wildlife, creating more and larger habitat areas, providing corridors through the wildlife landscape and allowing natural space to recover.
Insects are crucial for maintaining a healthy environment by recycling organic matter, pollinating and controlling pests. But scientists behind a recent body of research have concluded that they are undergoing a “frightening” global deterioration that “breaks the tapestry of life.” A global scientific review in 2019 says that the widespread decline threatens to cause a “catastrophic collapse of natural ecosystems.”
The new study includes almost 5,000 trips made in 2021 and determines the “spread rate” for each, ie. the number of registered insects per mile. Wet days were ruled out, as the rain may have washed some of the scattered insects off the plates.
In a 2004 study by the RSPB, only 8% of trips failed to disperse any insects. But in 2021, 40% of trips did not register a single crushed error. The possibility of newer vehicles being more aerodynamic and therefore hitting fewer insects was ruled out.
The information gathered from the study does not indicate why the decline is significantly lower in Scotland. But Shardlow said factors known to harm insects, including habitat fragmentation, climate change, pesticides and light pollution, are less intense in Scotland.
In addition to demanding action from the government and councils, Buglife said people can help insects by not using pesticides, letting grass grow longer and planting wildflowers in gardens. If each garden had a small place for insects, together it would probably be the largest wildlife habitat in the world, the group said.
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