Insecticide! (An Ecological Disaster That Will Affect Us All)

The suffix “-cide” means killer, and anyone who presumes that the effects of insecticides are limited to a few select pests are deluding themselves. Biologists explain that insects contribute to the intricate web of life on this planet, but some species are suffering severe population declines, including species of butterflies, bees, mayflies, beetles and moths, reports Michael McCarthy for the Independent. Extinction rates are higher for insects than for any other animal group, due to increasing reliance on insecticides and loss of habitat, but activists do not rally to save insects as they might for some mammals or birds. Activists cannot be selective about saving a few creatures, and must aim to protect the full gamut of invertebrate diversity, according to one insect conservationist. “Insects are fundamental to the fabric of life,” said Matt Shardlow director of Buglife, the Invertebrate Conservation Trust. “and if we start to tear that fabric apart, the consequences for all of the services that are provided from ecosystems will be severe." – YaleGlobal