“We already knew that some insects were in trouble,” de Kroon says. People had been tracking bees and monarch butterflies for years, and they expected to find a decrease in other species too. But they did not expect the decline to be so dramatic. And the situation isn’t unique to Germany: Another study found that 41 percent of insect species around the world are dying off rapidly.
Flying insects are a vital part of the food chain. They pollinate fruits and vegetables and are important food sources for birds and mammals. Declining insect populations could eventually lead to a loss of bird life and plant variety.
But there’s room for hope, according to de Kroon. “Insects, as almost no other group, have enormous potential for recovery,” he says. “Sometimes you see many generations in a year because they can lay hundreds of eggs. If we manage to improve the conditions, they can quickly recover.”