How can it matter that we count observations of stink bugs?

Though I've been away from this project for a while, it's heartening to see the observations continue to accumulate (approaching 2000 at this writing) as well as the number of members and unique observers (almost 700) continue to grow. The goals of the project have not changed: to track the distribution of introduced pest species (eg. bagrada bug) in SoCal while painting an evolving picture of Pentatomid distribution, diversity and behavior. However, in the years since the project began, the significance of monitoring what are typically innocuous and overlooked insects has increased.

The alarm over the disappearance of common insects has grown steadily, from fairly informal observances to what now is becoming a quantifiable and reproducible determination. Most recently, a report coming out of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences documents not only a striking loss in insect diversity, but a concomitant loss in numbers and diversity on up through the food chain. (See the paper at http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2018/10/09/1722477115.) In other recent studies it has been reported that while conspicuous insect pest species may be on the rise, the "normal" background insect diversity is shrinking.

In summary, as you continue to record your observations, think about how the seasonal appearances - or sudden rarity- of regionally characteristic species of these rather amusing insects may create a record of a thriving - or declining - natural environment.

Posted on October 16, 2018 08:08 PM by jbryant