Insect Apocalypse: Beyond Pesticides, What's Really Driving Their Disappearance?

So, why has there been a big jump in research on insect population decline since 2017? Well, it all started with a really concerning study that year. The study showed that insect populations had dropped by a crazy 75% in less than 30 years! That shocking number got a ton of scientists interested, and they started coming up with all kinds of ideas about why it was happening and publishing lots of papers.
What's the main cause of this decline? After looking at over 170 scientific reviews and making a huge network of 3,000+ connections, researchers found that agricultural intensification is the biggest driver. Things like changes in land use and the use of pesticides in farming are really hitting insect populations hard. But it's not as simple as just pointing at one thing. All these factors are linked. For example, climate is a factor, but within that, extreme rain, fires, and temperature changes also play a part and can affect other factors too. It's like a big, complicated web.
Why are some of the threats listed by the IUCN ignored in recent research? The researchers think it might be because the scientific community just hasn't caught up yet. Maybe some of these threats are harder to study, or they're not as obvious as others.
As for the bias towards popular insects like bees and butterflies, it's mainly because they're super important for agriculture and people really care about them. So, there's more funding for research on them. But here's the problem: these insects are just a tiny part of all insect species. Focusing only on them means we're missing out on protecting most of the other insects. We need to think about the whole insect world, not just the cute and useful ones.
To save insects, we can't just deal with one problem at a time. We need to look at the whole system. We should spread out research funding to cover all kinds of insects and threats, and come up with plans that take into account how everything is connected. Otherwise, our efforts to protect some insects might end up hurting others.

So, why did everyone suddenly start freaking out about disappearing bugs after 2017? Blame that bombshell study showing a ​​75% insect population drop in under 30 years​​—it was like an ecological alarm bell. Scientists scrambled to figure out why, publishing tons of papers. But here’s the messy truth: ​​we’ve been missing the big picture​​.

A team at Binghamton University analyzed ​​170+ scientific reviews​​ (with ​​500+ hypotheses​​) to map out the insect apocalypse’s "who-done-it." They built a ​​3,000-connection web​​ of causes and effects. The prime suspect? ​​Industrial farming​​—land clearing, pesticides, you name it. But it’s not that simple.

​​The plot twists:​​

​​Everything’s connected​​: Climate change isn’t just "heat kills bugs." It triggers wildfires, floods, and temperature swings that compound other threats (like pesticides becoming more toxic in heat).
​​Blind spots galore​​: The IUCN lists ​​dozens of understudied threats​​ (e.g., light pollution, invasive species) that barely get research attention.
​​Bee bias​​: Papers obsess over ​​bees and butterflies​​ (less than 1% of insect diversity!), leaving most species in the dark. Why? Money. "Bee research gets funded because they’re economically important," admits researcher Christopher Halsch.
​​The real crime?​​ Focusing on single fixes (like saving honeybees) might harm other insects. For example, planting bee-friendly crops could wreck soil-dwelling bugs.

​​The verdict​​: To stop the insect apocalypse, we need ​​system-level action​​—not just band-aid solutions. Think: rewilding farms, cutting pesticide cocktails, and studying all bugs, not just the cute ones.