HAVE you noticed a drop in the number of bugs splatted on your car windscreen in recent years? Researchers think this 鈥渨indscreen phenomenon鈥� is one indicator of a worrying global decline in insects, and your observations could help them to investigate the scale of the problem.
If you live and drive in the UK, you can get involved in this biodiversity research directly by participating in the this summer. You will need a 鈥渟platometer鈥� 鈥� a sampling grid that you can stick to the number plate of your vehicle. This will be posted to you when you sign up to the project via the Bugs Matter smartphone app.
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To start your experiment, simply wipe down your number plate before making your journey. Once you have arrived, count any bugs squashed on the plate using your 鈥渟platometer鈥� to guide you. Then, take a photo of your observation and submit it via the app, along with information about the distance travelled. This will allow the Bugs Matter team to work out the number of 鈥渟plats per mile鈥�.
Even if you don鈥檛 spot any bugs on your number plate, you should still submit your observation as a count of zero. This information is just as valuable for monitoring changes in insect populations across the country.
Observations made by volunteers who participated in Bugs Matter between 2004 and 2021 suggest that the number of flying insects splatted on cars in the UK . This finding is consistent with other studies reporting declines in insect populations around the world.
A 2019 review published in the journal identified habitat loss, pollution, diseases and climate change as key contributors to the global decline in insects. The same review found that more than 40 per cent of insect species could face extinction in the next few decades, with butterflies, bees and dung beetles among those at greatest risk.
The Bugs Matter survey is conducted annually during the summer to help researchers get a grip on year-to-year variation in insect populations. This year鈥檚 bug count started on 1 June and is running until 31 August. Visit and search for 鈥淏ugs Matter鈥� to learn more.
If you live in the UK but don鈥檛 drive, you can still contribute to insect-related research this summer by participating in the between 15 July and 7 August (I wrote about this project in a previous column). Butterfly enthusiasts based in Central America, North America or the Caribbean can record butterfly sightings through the . There are also plenty of apps that allow you to record observations of wildlife wherever you are.
Happy bug spotting!
What you need
Access to the Bugs Matter app
A sampling grid, which will be sent to you by post when you sign up
A car or other road vehicle
For other projects visit聽newscientist.com/maker
