The Bugs Matter Citizen Science Survey 2022

In recent years, scientists and the media have drawn attention to global declines in insect abundance, the consequences of which are potentially catastrophic. Invertebrates are critical to ecosystem functions and services, and without them, life on earth would collapse. However, there has been insufficient data to make robust conclusions about trends in insect abundance in the UK, because standardised insect sampling approaches are not widely applied to all insect groups or at a national scale. The Bugs Matter Citizen Science Survey provides a standardised and large-scale approach to monitor the abundance of flying insects over time. Compared to 2004, the number of insect splats in England decreased by 68% by 202). Compared to 2004, the number of insect splats in Scotland decreased by 40% in 2022. In Wales, the number of insect splats recorded decreased by 75% in 2022. In Northern Ireland, the number of insect splats recorded decreased by 46% between 2021 and 2022. These results are consistent with the declining trends in insect populations widely reported by others, and informs a growing requirement for conservation research, policy and practice targeted at invertebrates in the UK.