Environment & Energy
Related: About this forumClimate Change Could Decrease The Number Of Bugs In Missouri
Many insects that feed on Missouri oak trees could be threatened by climate change, according to a study from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Researchers from UMSL and several other universities looked at more than 250 insect species in Missouri, including leaf-tying caterpillars. Biologists reported in the journal Frontiers that the insects populations took major hits after mid-spring frosts and summer droughts, decreasing as much as 95% for some species.
While the study shows that populations were eventually able to recover, its possible they may not if climate change makes droughts and spring frost events more frequent, said Robert Marquis, a professor emeritus of biology at UMSL.
These kinds of events actually will eventually show a long-term decline of insect populations in Missouri, Marquis said.
https://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/climate-change-could-decrease-number-bugs-missouri
FoxNewsSucks
(10,434 posts)I see far fewer insects now than I did growing up in central MO 40-50 years ago. Both variety and number. I rarely see butterflies, those big black and yellow garden spiders, lady bugs, or lightning bugs.
It also seems that it has happened more quickly in the last 10+ years or so, and a lot the last couple years. I travel a lot for work, and used to have to stop to clean my windshield in between fillups. In the last few years, I rarely have to clean it.
I walk my dog for a mile or so every night about 9. I used to hate having to watch out for those tree spiders that make the big webs. This year, I have seen very few of them. I noticed all summer that instead of giant clouds of insects swarming every streetlight after dark, there are maybe 2-3 bugs flying around each of them. I guess there are few spiders because there aren't enough bugs to eat.
It may not be a "scientific observation", but that is what I've noticed. Maybe it's part of some normal multi-year cycle, but I doubt that.
Nay
(12,051 posts)who has counted birds for the Cornell U Feederwatch program for 10 years, I can tell you the bird populations are taking a big hit, too. In fact, the latest Audubon magazine is dedicated to describing this bird population problem.
Boomer
(4,168 posts)Tonight a fly got in the house and I had a flashback to our first year or two after moving in -- almost 20 years ago. We had a stock of flystrips that we would hang here and there in the house. Haven't needed them in years.
Outside, the number and variety of insects is plummeting year by year. They used to flock around the outside lights in clouds, but not any more. Makes me wonder how badly the local bat populations have been affected. We used to see them flying at dusk, but haven't caught sight of one in quite some time now.