Meet the Bugs Bunch: Krefeld’s Eerie Entomology Crew
For nearly three decades, a troupe of quirky German hobbyists have been setting up insect traps along the Rhine and hauling in millions of bugs and creepy‑crawlies.
Today they’re proud to present a “world‑class” treasure trove: hard proof of one of Earth’s most disastrous extinction events since the dinosaurs went extinct.
Why It Matters
- Insects make up about two‑thirds of all land species.
- They’re disappearing faster than you can say “arthropod apocalypse.”
- Such a loss ripples through food chains and habitats—think of it as a giant domino effect.
Where It All Happens
Hidden behind thick curtains in a former school building on Krefeld’s Dutch border, the Amateur Entomology Society’s headquarters looks far removed from its outskirts. Inside, glass cabinets hold thousands of butterflies, fist‑sized beetles, and dragonflies from all corners of the globe.
From Drying to DNA
Traditionally, entomology meant drying and collecting rare specimens. “That’s how we started,” says the sandal‑wearing president, Martin Sorg. But now, thanks to an army of volunteers, the society has tucked away a staggering 80 million insects in countless ethanol bottles.
What’s Next?
- Convert these living archives into molecular data.
- Unravel the secrets of past extinction events.
- Perhaps save the future of the planet’s most vital food web.
<img alt="" data-caption="Martin Sorg by an insect trap in a field in Krefeld, Germany in May.
Photo: AFP” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”4f93d6ea-d36f-416f-9a53-f91d6c80552d” src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/190701_martin-sorg-trap_AFP_0.jpg”/>
Lively Insect Tracking: 40 Years of Data and a Shocking Decline
Every bottle on the shelf today holds a snapshot of what one of our trusty insect traps—tall, sturdy, and utterly identical—has collected over a fixed time window. Stack up a few of these, and you get a box that’s a time capsule of nearly thirty years of fluttering lives caught in the air.
Why These Traps Are So Special
- Since 1982, each trap has been built to the same exact dimensions and material.
- All 63 trapping sites are identical, so the data has no hidden quirks.
- We harvest and record the catches at the same interval, giving us a clean, comparable dataset.
“Our traps are a neat, consistent experiment in the wild,” says Sorg. “The data they generate is simply massive—ton to the‑ton more than most university research teams could amass.”
What the Numbers Reveal
With that treasure trove of numbers in hand, Sorg’s heart is split: on one side, he feels proud of a society that keeps an eye on the invisible flyers that buzz above us; on the other, he’s shaken by the facts. During the recent test period, the total biomass of all flying insects in the region plummeted by a staggering 76 percent.
It’s a stark reminder that even the tiniest creatures, once we can count them properly, carry a weight that’s worth paying attention to—and a very surprising drop that makes scientists (and us between bees and butterflies) put on their thinking caps.
<img alt="" data-caption="Martin Sorg at the Entomology Society’s base in Krefeld.
Photo: AFP” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”66590607-c4f0-4e86-bca6-57dc2fdb2b08″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/190701_martin-sorg-etymology-base_AFP_0.jpg”/>
Crunching Numbers: How the Fungal Crash Is Shrinking the Insect Buffet
Picture a shiny laboratory, a lab tech holding up two bottles that feel like priceless relics. One is from 1994, filled with a hefty 1,400 grams of dead insects that have moulded together over decades. The other, the latest arrival, holds a meager 300 grams. The stark contrast? A dramatic, alarming decline in the fungal alphabet soup these insects create.
2000‑2100: The Slow and the Fast
- Enough to feel the chill: the 2011 discovery that these population drops were no longer a faint whisper.
- Annual updates burnt with haste: each year since, the trend has slashed the numbers further.
- Scientific raising of the alarm: Sorg, the man who turned a subtle observation into a clarion call for the planet.
Who Sees the Ripples?
Short‑term notices shivered in environmental circles, not the broader media or everyday conversation. It was the “insects under a gum wrapper” world that only saw the decline for themselves. In a ground‑breaking moment of science‑related wake‑up, the intricately delicate health of ecosystems was measured in grams and time.
Why It Matters
Every grain in those bottles tells a story of decomposition, biodiversity, and ecological tides. One simple fact: when numbers drop, we get a taste of a world where the fairy dust of fungi is thinning like a broom, and the once‑robust hum of insect life is losing its roar.
<img alt="" data-caption="Bees collected by society.
Photo: AFP” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”db8697fd-3e7a-4162-b21d-b6eb68b82e9d” src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/190701_bees-collected_AFP_0.jpg”/>
Why Bird Loss Is the New Black of Conservation (and Why Your Sunday Hobby Might Just Be the Data You Need)
Everyone used to brag about spotting a jaguar or a brown bear, but lately the buzz is all about a tiny feathered friend that’s been slipping under the radar.
From Krefeld to the Dutch Border: A Side‑by‑Side Food Crisis
Picture this: you’re strolling through the streets of Krefeld, noticing that your bird‑watching board at home gets increasingly dull. Imagine you’re halfway across the German-Dutch divide, and your colleague, Professor Hans de Kroon, is at the same time sweating over a similar problem.
The “Insects Are Missing” Theory (Pre‑Data)
Prof. de Kroon thought the birds were suffering from a food shortage, especially insects. He had no hard evidence, just an uneasy intuition.
Enter the German Troupe with Data in Hand
“We’re seeing a sharp drop and we’re super concerned. Can you crunch our numbers?” the Krefeld crew rang up.
and that’s when the mission officially kicked off.
What the Landscape Tells Us About the Problem
- Urbans sprawl → less nesting spots
- More pesticide use → fewer insects to feast on
- Climate shifts → altered migration patterns
Those clues weren’t random—they were the breadcrumbs that started shaping the story we’re about to unfold.
Why Small Birds Get the Spotlight Now
Long ago, conservationists kept their eyes on charismatic megafauna—think lions, elephants, that kind of showbiz. But the new narrative is shifting to species whose disappearance can silently ripple the whole ecosystem.
These birds are the unsung heroes: if they vanish, the whole food chain collapses.
Let’s Sprinkle In Some Humor (Because Data Can Be Dry)
- Why did the bird go to therapy? It was dealing with “insect anxiety.”
- What’s a bird’s favorite workout? Zip!‑es—because they’re all about that circulation.
Not too serious, but we’re still on track: data is the real deal.
What Happens Next? We’ll Keep You Posted!
While the science team dives into the numbers, we’ll keep you updated on these small‑but‑significant headlines. Stay tuned, because the bird saga—or maybe the next big data revelation—could hit this spot soon!
<img alt="" data-caption="Hans de Kroon.
Photo: AFP” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”26cfd672-7ba4-418c-9e1c-7a6d73494155″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/190701_hans-de-kroon_AFP_0.jpg”/>
South‑West Europe: One Cockroach’s Last Stand
Picture this: big, soot‑streaked chimneys puffing smoke into the sky while a tiny, green sanctuary stands on one side of a dusty road. Across the way, a sprawling sugar‑beet field glistens under a blanket of pesticides.
“We’re Shrinking the Wild Spot by Spot”
Casper Kroon – a field‑work wizard with a sense of humor – sums it up in one punchy sentence: “Our nature is getting smaller, the farms are a chemical nightmare, and the insects are left with a toxic buffet.”
He adds, “The little guys can’t hop from one patch to another – the distance is way too big. It’s like a tiny bird stuck in a traffic jam, except the jams are filled with poisons.”
Why This Matters, No Matter How Awkward It Sounds
- Anthropogenic roots: Kroon asserts with no doubt that the die‑off is a human‑made nightmare.
- Yikes moment: The big worry? We might hit a “point of no return” that locks in permanent loss of hey‑there’s‑some‑new‑species diversity.
Behind the Numbers
The data came out of a Krefeld lab study that fed into a 2021 paper by Francisco Sanchez‑Bayo and Kris Wyckhuys from the University of Sydney and Queensland. Their work spotlighted the bugs’ complaints, with a side note that it comes with a dash of “please, stop spraying!”
Bottom Line
So, next time you see a winged buddy in a field, remember: it’s not just a meal for you – it’s survival or demise on a world worn‑out runway. And, folks, let’s keep the gardens alive, or we’ll end up all up with only one naively dancing insect. />
<img alt="" data-caption="A trap with insects collected by society.
Photo: AFP” data-entity-type=”file” data-entity-uuid=”12ce813b-663c-408b-a8f0-63944c8e9479″ src=”/sites/default/files/inline-images/190701_insects-trapped_AFP.jpg”/>
Insects Under Siege: A Decade‑Long Countdown to Extinction
Just last February, a groundbreaking paper pulled together 73 studies that span four decades of research on the planet’s insect life. The results are chilling: more than 40 % of insect species are already on the brink of disappearing. And the docket keeps growing—roughly 1 % of species are added to the endangered list each year. That’s essentially the largest extinction event since the dinosaurs went extinct.
What’s Driving the Crisis?
- Habitat loss – Forests cut, wetlands drained, and grasslands turned into farmlands or concrete jungles.
- Intensive agriculture – Monocultures, heavy pesticide use, and slick fertilisers wiping out diverse micro‑habitats.
- Urbanisation – Cities expanding, infrastructure taking over natural corridors.
- Pollution – Chemical runoff and insecticides quietly but relentlessly killing outpopulations.
- Invasive species – Non‑native beetles, ants, and other pests outcompeting locals.
- Climate change – Shifting temperatures, altered rainfall patterns, and extreme weather events outpacing insect resilience.
The Bottom Line
The researchers don’t mince words: “If we keep doing things the way we do now, the entire insect kingdom could vanish in a few decades.” They’re calling for a seismic shift in how we produce food and manage our planet.
Why You Care
Entomologists, hikers, and even your local coffee shop might be surprised to see how many of us depend on insects. From pollinating our crops to keeping pests in check, bees, beetles, and flies are the unsung heroes of ecosystems—and breakfast. If we lose them, the ripple effects will hit everything—from the almonds on your toast to the fish in your favourite aquarium.
It’s not just about science—it’s about the future of every one of us. Time to rethink our habits before that 1 % adds up to a global crisis.
