Insects are under global threat from human activities, with aquatic species particularly vulnerable. Sympecma paedisca, a Palearctic damselfly that overwinters as an adult, has undergone significant declines in Europe and is classified as ‘Critically Endangered’ in Italy. Poor knowledge about its distribution and ecology in the country prevents effective conservation actions...
The shift towards “close-to-nature forestry” in Central Europe led to an area-wide decrease of open forest structures and a decline of many photophilous species or taxa. One of them, the endemic taxon Zygaena angelicae elegans, only occurs on the western margin of the Swabian Alb, Germany. Five of only 37 (mostly small) populations became extinct since 2000; hence, this...
Grasslands comprise a significant portion of terrestrial ecosystems, contributing an estimated 20% of global carbon stores. Biomass is recycled in these systems by photodegradation, biotic decomposition, and through disturbances such as fire or grazing. Yet the role of the arthropod community in biotic decomposition remains unclear in many grasslands worldwide. To help close this...
Different host plants may vary in their effects on butterfly larvae or adult performance, with possibly pervasive consequences for the viability of local populations. Understanding host plant preferences is therefore crucial for butterfly conservation. Lycaena phlaeas and L. tityrus are rather widespread butterflies in Central Europe. They though recently declined in several...
Hymenopteran parasitoids are an extremely diverse insect group, crucial for ecosystem functioning and pest control. Due to their high trophic level and high degree of specialization, parasitoids are particularly sensitive to disturbance and extinction events, which makes them good indicators of arthropod diversity. Different studies have shown that parasitoids can be affected by...
Species-rich grasslands and their associated arthropods have become rare across Europe. Linear green infrastructure, such as river dikes, can serve as secondary habitats and improve the connectivity among isolated grasslands. Although applied extensively on dike grasslands, mowing impairs local arthropod populations, depending on the date and the techniques applied, while leaving...
The Noah’s Ark metaphor provides a compelling framework for understanding the conservation challenges faced by glacial endemics in high mountain refugia across the West Palearctic. The iconic bush-cricket Psorodonotus ebneri, endemic to Beydağları Mountains in southwest Anatolia, serves as a potential model species for investigating residual taxa within Anatolian ‘Noah’s Ark...
Butterflies and moths face a range of anthropogenic threats with many of the best-studied populations in decline. In response, butterfly and moth conservation programmes are implementing a diverse set of actions, but to date no study has synthesised evidence for their effectiveness. We present an overview of the recently published Conservation Evidence synopsis of butterfly and...
Although pan traps are an established method for sampling bees across a wide range of habitats and geographical regions, uncertainty persists as to how pan-trap characteristics influence sampling results. We investigated the effect of pan-trap diameter (23 cm versus 12 cm), interacting with trap colour, on sampled bee communities and bycatch in wildflower strips within...
Several studies have highlighted the global decline of pollinator insects, with Lepidoptera being particularly affected in large parts of Europe in recent decades. Given the important biogeographic and conservation implications from faunal studies on the large Mediterranean islands, we focused on assessing butterfly diversity within the Culuccia Peninsula in north-eastern...
Butterfly populations in Europe are declining, necessitating efficient conservation strategies. Understanding butterfly behaviour in relation to habitat quality is important, and one aspect is flight behaviour at habitat edges. This study investigates flight patterns of the marsh fritillary (Euphydryas aurinia) in relation to edges between intensively grazed and ungrazed habitat...
Documenting new colonisations of species and rates of establishment on islands is important for studying ecological interactions with resident species and adds to our understanding of island biogeography. Here, I document the apparent recent establishment of the Lurcher Yoma sabina in the Fiji Islands, a butterfly species previously unrecorded in Fiji in the published literature...
Tree diseases may cause the extirpation or functional extinction of a common tree species on large spatial scales. For example, ash dieback (Hymenoscyphus fraxineus) is expected to cause widespread loss of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior). This type of widespread loss of a tree species may have consequences for the ability of some insects to move between woodlands, particularly...
Increasing evidence for insect biodiversity decline requires an identification of the causes but also an improved understanding of the limitations of the various underlying sampling methods. Trap comparisons foster comparability of larger-scale biodiversity studies by providing a deeper understanding of the variations in species abundances and trait compositions due to variations...
Wild bees are experiencing population declines globally. Despite urbanisation replacing habitat and forage with synthetic materials, urban residential gardens have the potential to become pollinator hotspots, increasing bee diversity and abundance. We explored public knowledge and attitudes towards bees, and ‘bee-friendly’ interventions (BFIs) conducted by urban residents. We...
Low-productive open landscapes, once prevalent in Western Europe, have significantly declined due to land reclamation and afforestation. Despite protection under the European Union Habitats Directive, remaining heathlands face degradation from various factors, including nitrogen deposition, climate change, and altered land use. Using laboratory and field experiments we examined...
This article presents a study of the isolated population of the scarce large blue butterfly, which is facing a significant threat in the meadows of the central part of Slovakia. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of management, the presence of great burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis (L.)), and the host ants on the abundance of Phengaris teleius in the...
Evidence-based management is needed to reverse declines in insect abundance. The Lulworth Skipper Thymelicus acteon is a range-restricted and declining species in the UK and northern Europe associated with mid-successional grassland, which presents management challenges because interventions are necessary to prevent long-term habitat deterioration but can result in short-term...
In tropical disturbed forests, it is relatively unknown the extent insect communities are experiencing shifts in species diversity and the consequences for ecosystem functions and services. In southern Mexico, we used the rove beetle community associated to Heliconia wagneriana bracts, as a model system, to investigate differences in community attributes and feeding habits...
One threat pollinators face in a rapidly changing climate is the decoupling of their activity period from the blooming period of their host plants. Pollinators active in the earliest part of spring may be especially susceptible, as there are few alternative food resources available if they become active before their host plants begin blooming. Thus, urban landscapes, although...
Anthropogenic habitat modification is a major contributor to global change. While the modification of natural habitats to agroecosystems attracts most of the attention, little is known about the conversion of one natural ecosystem to another. Dry dipterocarp forest is the key dry forest type across Southeast Asia. Moderate fire disturbance is essential for its regeneration, but...