https://www.science.org/content/article/bee-butterfly-numbers-are-falling-even-undisturbed-forests Advertisement * * news * careers * commentary * Journals * Covid-19 Science Science * * * Log in * Become A Member [science] science [sciadv] science advances [sciimmunol] science immunology [scirobotics] science robotics [signaling] science signaling [stm] science translational medicine [spj-cover-1672180580773] science partner journals Quick Search anywhere Enter Search Term[ ] Quick Search in Journals Enter Search Term[ ] Quick Search in Journals Enter Search Term[ ] Quick Search in Journals Enter Search Term[ ] Quick Search in Journals Enter Search Term[ ] Quick Search in Journals Enter Search Term[ ] Quick Search in Journals Enter Search Term[ ] Searching: Anywhere AnywhereScienceScience AdvancesScience ImmunologyScience Robotics Science SignalingScience Translational Medicine Advanced Search Search Trending Terms: * covid-19 * climate * monkeypox * abortion * perovskite Log In Become A Member Quick Search anywhere Enter Search Term[ ] science.org * Custom publishing * collections * videos * podcasts * blogs * visualizations * prizes and awards * authors & reviewers * librarians * advertisers * about * help * * * * * * AAAS Logo * Terms of Service * Privacy Policy * Accessibility * News Home * All News * ScienceInsider * News Features GET OUR E-ALERTS HomeNewsScienceShotsBee and butterfly numbers are falling, even in undisturbed forests Back To ScienceShots * ScienceShots * Plants & Animals Bee and butterfly numbers are falling, even in undisturbed forests 15-year survey finds bees that nest aboveground are especially at risk * 6 Mar 2023 * 3:30 PM * ByElizabeth Pennisi A small carpenter bee on a wild rose Paula Sharp Share: * Twitter * Linked In * Facebook * Reddit * Wechat * Email Habitat destruction, pesticide use, and other human impacts are often blamed for the well-documented decline of insects in recent decades. But even in forests where few humans tread, some bees and butterflies are declining, researchers have found. Over the past 15 years, populations of bees shrank 62.5% and those of butterflies dropped 57.6% in a forest in the U.S. southeast. In addition, the number of bee species there fell by 39%, the team reports this month in Current Biology. Five times between 2007 and 2022, researchers surveyed the insects in three forested areas in the Oconee National Forest in northern Georgia. The sites were relatively undisturbed by humans and didn't have common invasive plants such as Chinese privet. The team suspects climate change may be warming the region and affecting bee and possibly butterfly survival. Invasive insects may also be to blame, especially for the decline of bees such as small carpenter (above) and leaf-cutting bees, which nest in hollow stems, under loose bark, or inside rotting wood. These species were hit the hardest, the researchers report, possibly because exotic wood-nesting and leaf-cutter bees may outcompete them for nest sites or because their nests fail to protect them against higher temperatures. --------------------------------------------------------------------- doi: 10.1126/science.adh4751 Relevant tags: Plants & Animals About the author Elizabeth Pennisi Elizabeth Pennisi mailTwitter Author Liz Pennisi is a senior correspondent covering many aspects of biology for Science. --------------------------------------------------------------------- More from news Ranga Dias working on superconductor material 8 Mar 2023 'Revolutionary' blue crystal resurrects hope of room temperature superconductivity By * Robert F. Service A woman sneezes into a tissue 8 Mar. 2023 Why does the flu make you feel so crummy? 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