Increasing neonicotinoid use and the declining butterfly fauna of lowland California

Matthew L. Forister; Bruce Cousens; Joshua G. Harrison; Kayce Anderson; James H. Thorne; Dave Waetjen; Chris C. Nice; Matt De Parsia; Michelle Hladik; Robert Meese; Heidi van Vliet; Arthur M. Shapiro

doi:10.1098/rsbl.2016.0475

USGS · 70175589

Increasing neonicotinoid use and the declining butterfly fauna of lowland California

Matthew L. Forister·Bruce Cousens·Joshua G. Harrison·Kayce Anderson·James H. Thorne·Dave Waetjen·Chris C. Nice·Matt De Parsia·Michelle Hladik·Robert Meese·Heidi van Vliet·Arthur M. Shapiro

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Abstract

The butterfly fauna of lowland Northern California has exhibited a marked decline in recent years that previous studies have attributed in part to altered climatic conditions and changes in land use. Here, we ask if a shift in insecticide use towards neonicotinoids is associated with butterfly declines at four sites in the region that have been monitored for four decades. A negative association between butterfly populations and increasing neonicotinoid application is detectable while controlling for land use and other factors, and appears to be more severe for smaller-bodied species. These results suggest that neonicotinoids could influence non-target insect populations occurring in proximity to application locations, and highlights the need for mechanistic work to complement long-term observational data.

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Biology Letters Article

Source-reported bounding extent: 38.0199° to 38.9248° latitude; -122.423° to -121.0213° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

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Matthew L. Forister, Bruce Cousens, Joshua G. Harrison, Kayce Anderson, James H. Thorne, Dave Waetjen, Chris C. Nice, Matt De Parsia, Michelle Hladik, Robert Meese, Heidi van Vliet, Arthur M. Shapiro. 2016. Increasing neonicotinoid use and the declining butterfly fauna of lowland California. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0475

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