Insect populations suffering death by 1,000 cuts, say scientists

Frightening' global decline is tearing apart tapestry of life', with climate crisis a critical concern

Insect populations are suffering death by a thousand cuts", with many falling at frightening" rates that are tearing apart the tapestry of life", according to scientists behind a new volume of studies.

The insects face multiple, overlapping threats including the destruction of wild habitats for farming, urbanisation, pesticides and light pollution. Population collapses have been recorded in places where human activities dominate, such as in Germany, but there is little data from outside Europe and North America and in particular from wild, tropical regions where most insects live.