Insect populations drop even without direct human interference, a new study finds

Even in areas relatively undisturbed by human activity, insect populations are on the decline, with climate change as a likely culprit. That's the finding of new research from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

The study, published in the journal Ecology , calculated the density of flying insects during 15 summers, between 2004–2024, in a remote meadow in the Colorado mountains.

The bugs collected included common flies — and a wide range of other, mostly winged species.

The insect populations were found to have declined by an average 6.6% annually — a 72.4% drop over the 20-year period.

"There's been many reports in recent years of insect declines worldwide, but mostly in North America and Europe, and for the most part, those reports reference locations that are usual