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Between 2004 and 2022, the number of insects splashed on vehicle number plates in Britain has fallen by 64%, according to a survey.
Each summer citizen scientists record the number of insect splats on their number plates on the app after the trip. The latest Bugs Matter report produced by the Kent Wildlife Trust and Buglife found a further decline in 2022 compared to 2021, with a long-term decline of five percentage points.
The survey supports other scientific studies showing major and ongoing declines in flying insects in Western Europe this century, potentially threatening food chains, plant and crop pollination, and ultimately life on Earth.
Andrew Whitehouse of BugLife said: “For the second year running, Bugs Matter has shown a potentially catastrophic decline in the abundance of flying insects. Urgent action is needed to address the loss of diversity and abundance of insect life. We will look to our leaders at Cop15 for decisive action to restore nature at scale – both for wildlife and the health and well-being of future generations.”
The study found that England, Northern Ireland and Wales saw a steady decline from 2021 to 2022, but this summer appears to be a better season for flying insects in Scotland. In Scotland the decline since 2004 was 48.5% in 2021 but only 40.3% in 2022.
The Bugs Matter survey data is collected when people download a free app and record the insects they splatter on their number plates during summer car journeys. About 7,000 volunteers signed up and 4,140 trips were analyzed in the 2022 data. Short journeys and tours in rain are excluded.
The project is looking forward to recruiting more participants for the 2023 recording, which will begin on June 1 next year.
Evan Bowen-Jones, chief executive of Kent Wildlife Trust, said: “Thanks to citizen scientists across the country, we are building a better picture of the health of our insect populations and we are already seeing some relevant patterns in the data.
“However, we need more citizen scientists to participate in the Bugs Matter Survey next year and in the future, to understand whether we are seeing real long-term trends or the effects of the extreme temperatures we face in 2022.”
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