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Why The Summer Sound Of Noisy Crickets Is Growing Fainter

posted by mrpg on Friday August 10 2018, @02:00PM   
from the not-in-Japan dept.

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

[...] Because the crooning of the crickets has quietened in recent years and may be becoming a thing of the past. There is strong evidence that large numbers of crickets and grasshoppers (known, along with mantises, earwigs and cockroaches as the "Orthoptera") are declining across Europe. A 2017 review of European species showed that over 30% of the 1,000 European species were in decline while only 3% were increasing. As with many insects, we simply don't know what is happening to most of the rest.

The problem is that recent work has suggested that all insect species, including Orthoptera, are declining – the so-called "insect Armageddon."

A 2017 study found that the abundance of flying insects has plunged by 75% over the past 25 years. One member of the study team, Professor Dave Goulson of Sussex University, said at the time: "Insects make up about two-thirds of all life on Earth [but] there has been some kind of horrific decline."

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Original Submission

• Re:it's called insecticide Re:it's called insecticide (Score: 5, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 10 2018, @05:47PM (2 children)

  by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 10 2018, @05:47PM (#720000)

  Insecticides have been around far longer than 25 years. If it's insecticides, did they recently become less specific, more lethal, or more heavily used?

  We asked a representative from Monsanto about your questions, and they responded "We're Bayer now. Wholesome, respected Bayer."

  Parent

  Starting Score:	0		points
  Moderation		+5
  Underrated=1, Touché=4, Total=5
  Extra 'Touché' Modifier		0
  Total Score:		5

• Re:it's called insecticide Re:it's called insecticide (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 11 2018, @05:37AM (1 child)

  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 11 2018, @05:37AM (#720235)

  You're alluding to neonicotinoids. However, the study was done in Europe. Haven't neonics been banned in Europe since 2013?

  Parent

  • Re:it's called insecticide (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 11 2018, @07:59AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Saturday August 11 2018, @07:59AM (#720251)

    Correcting myself, they haven't been banned but they've been restricted.

    Parent