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Study shows massive insect loss

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#41

Post by antisthenes »

24gttghh wrote: post #9

First the climate came for the coral reefs, and I did not speak up because I am not a marine invertebrate. Then, the climate came for the rest of the arthropods, and I did not speak up because I only have two legs. Then, the climate came for the fishes of the sea, and I did not speak up because I do not have gills. Then, the climate came for the plants, and I did not speak up because I am not a tree. Then, the climat…

> Then, the climate came for me, and there was no one left for me to eat

ftfy

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#42

Post by th3byrdm4n »

shironineja__ wrote: post #40

Flying insects are generally attracted to light. Our cities and vehicles generate light particularly during the night drawing them away from more-ideal habitat and often to their death on windshields. Now it is a fair point that this wouldn’t matter if there were thousands or even a few million vehicles but consider there are over 1.015B vehicles active on the road today and billions of us living in brightly lit citi…

What a horrible way to end a post. Try - always be mindful and intentional with your actions and the actions of those around you. Work hard towards building a better world.

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#43

Post by vajrabum »

travisoneill1 wrote: post #37

Is there a chance that there is an issue with the methodology and that numbers are wrong? I would have thought this type of loss would cause very obvious and catastrophic changes higher up the food chain.

And yes, the article makes the point that insectivores are disappearing as well with presumably a knock on though less direct effect on higher level predators.

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#44

Post by GlenTheMachine »

cmpaul wrote: post #29

> The invertebrates that live there, likewise, are adapted to these temperatures and fare poorly outside them; bugs cannot regulate their internal heat. This makes me think that the insects which do survive will be better adapted to the higher temperatures. Hopefully the change is slow enough they have time to adapt. And this is nothing to say about the impact of that adaptation time on other species...

Problem is the temperature keeps changing (upwards). If it was a step input, then you might see a sudden die-off and then a ramp back up. But the temperature change is, to first order, a ramp input.

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#45

Post by anonytrary »

carlesfe wrote: post #10

Years ago, my family used to drive to our grandparents' village in hot, summer Friday nights. The windshield ended so pestered with dead bugs that the first task on Saturday morning was to drive the car to the river to clean it. I remember it vividly because it was so fun to wash the car with the cold river water. Last August I went stargazing with my wife. We chose a secluded area because it was far away from light…

That the environment could slowly transition its chemistry into a state which is not suitable for life is one of my biggest fears. It would be a silent killer.

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#46

Post by anonytrary »

YeGoblynQueenne wrote: post #33
carlesfe wrote: post #10

Years ago, my family used to drive to our grandparents' village in hot, summer Friday nights. The windshield ended so pestered with dead bugs that the first task on Saturday morning was to drive the car to the river to clean it. I remember it vividly because it was so fun to wash the car with the cold river water. Last August I went stargazing with my wife. We chose a secluded area because it was far away from light…

>> I hate mosquitoes as much as everybody else, but something has been happening to insects in the last 20 years. Whatever it is, it's not happening to mosquitoes. This entire summer I had at least 5 of them buzzing around my head every night- and I did swat at least half of them each evening.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_picking

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#47

Post by shironineja__ »

th3byrdm4n wrote: post #42
shironineja__ wrote: post #40

Flying insects are generally attracted to light. Our cities and vehicles generate light particularly during the night drawing them away from more-ideal habitat and often to their death on windshields. Now it is a fair point that this wouldn’t matter if there were thousands or even a few million vehicles but consider there are over 1.015B vehicles active on the road today and billions of us living in brightly lit citi…

What a horrible way to end a post. Try - always be mindful and intentional with your actions and the actions of those around you. Work hard towards building a better world.

I am. Are you?

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#48

Post by gnulinux »

DEADBEEFC0FFEE wrote: post #21
coldnose wrote: post #12

Does anyone else find spicing up ordinary words with new cognates amusing? Super-researchers are ultraconcerned about hyperalarming insect megaloss.

It is literally what I love about the English language. You can easily generate new words that are easily understood. In the same thought, it's completely unnecessary.

Hmm what do you mean by English language? I cannot think of a language that wouldn't let this (maybe a very analytic language, like Mandarin?). This is probably a universal property of human languages.

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#49

Post by DonaldFisk »

excalibur wrote: post #13
DonaldFisk wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Insects can see ultraviolet light but not red.

I'm no expert on the matter, but that seems like a pretty sweeping generalization.

This site confirms it: https://indianapublicmedia.org/amomentofscience/insect-color...

I knew because ultraviolet light is used by entomologists to attract insects to traps during the night, e.g. moths: https://mississippientomologicalmuseum.org.msstate.edu/colle...

This site gives the visual spectrum response of a species of beetle: http://cronodon.com/BioTech/Insect_Vision.html

Re: Study shows massive insect loss

#50

Post by saana »

anonytrary wrote: post #46
YeGoblynQueenne wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> I hate mosquitoes as much as everybody else, but something has been happening to insects in the last 20 years. Whatever it is, it's not happening to mosquitoes. This entire summer I had at least 5 of them buzzing around my head every night- and I did swat at least half of them each evening.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_picking

So your GP's anecdata is cool but your parent's anecdata is not. :)
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