Archive
FLIGHT OF THE FLIES
01/12/2022
That we are in the midst of an anthropogenic era of extinction of life on Earth is now widely accepted and in no domain is it more apparent than entomology. We no longer have to wipe all the bugs off our windscreens when we return from a drive, many of us have remarked that there are fewer bees and other pollinators in our gardens, the familiar summer bluebottles and house flies have all but disappeared from our homes.
Some causes of this catastrophe are habitat degradation, pollution pesticides & herbicides, light pollution, climate change, invasive species and disease.
Habitats are being lost and ecosystems degraded almost everywhere outside nature reserves. The national disgrace of sewage pollution of our waterways and beaches is damaging aquatic invertebrates. Pesticides and the widespread use of chemicals are indiscriminately slaughtering vast numbers of invertebrates across our farmland, gardens, ponds, lakes and waterways as they wash off the land. Herbicides are also used with abandon, yet they kill many plants that are vital for insects for food.
Spillage of light at night and artificial illumination have an adverse impact on moths and other nocturnal invertebrates. Photophilous insects are attracted away from their natural habitat, disrupting normal behaviour and artificially augmenting the attraction of their insectivorous predators such as bats. One result is that the moths are transporting less pollen.
Latest data reveal that the last eight years have been the hottest since records began. Formally austral species are becoming more boreal and there are more extreme weather events which have negative impacts on invertebrates. Politicians need to wake up and step up to the plate, especially the Brexity far right cabal of climate crisis deniers.
There has been a significant increase in invasive non-native species of which there are many examples. They may out-compete native species, prey on them, introduce disease or contain novel toxins. Examples causing concern the Asian hornet, harlequin ladybird, pine and oak processionary moths, box tree moth, brown marmorated stink bug, signal crayfish, killer shrimp, noble false widow spider, and Obama flatworm.
Global warming and invasive species have exacerbated the spread of entomological diseases. Deformed wing virus of honey bees and bumblebees is one and the major new plant diseases such as ash dieback and sudden oak death mean less food for the invertebrates that rely on them and serious disturbance to healthy ecosystems.
Given all the above, it is hardly surprising that our once thriving invertebrate populations are in a state of collapse. Species once common are now much less frequently seen.
So what can be done? Well, first of all, if you don’t like insects, please take a little time to learn more about them, how fascinating and often very beautiful they are, and how they are fundamental to healthy, well-functioning ecosystems on Earth. Invertebrates are crucial to life on our planet but are far too often treated as a nuisance and even reviled. Please support all those who are working to halt global warming.
One of the most useful and rewarding things you can do is to record the invertebrates you see. Take a photo and record the time, date, habitat and any other relevant information such as foodplant or prey and send it to us. You might also like to join iRecord (https://irecord.org.uk/).
It is not all doom and gloom. On the sites Betts Ecology own and manage which are mainly in the Midlands and North of England, we always promote habitats for invertebrates and proscribe harmful pesticides and herbicides. We also ensure that all the sites we survey which is almost entirely because of a desire by the owners for land-use change requiring planning consent, we prescribe measures to support invertebrates.
A more detailed version of this news topic can be found here on the web site.
© Betts Ecology
