Air pollution particles may be cause of dramatic drop in global insect numbers
Published:15 Aug.2023 Source:University of Melbourne
Researchers from the University of Melbourne, Beijing Forestry University, and the University of California Davis report that an insect's ability to find food and a mate is reduced when their antennae are contaminated by particulate matter from industry, transport, bushfires, and other sources of air pollution.
University of Melbourne researcher Professor Mark Elgar, who co-authored the paper published today in Nature Communications, said the study was alerting humans to a potentially significant risk to insect populations.
"While we know that particulate matter exposure can affect the health of organisms, including insects, our research shows that it also reduces insects' crucial ability to detect odours for finding food and mates," Professor Elgar said.