Is insect abundance declining in Mass?

If you keep abreast to science in the news, you may have seen headlines like the following across news outlets over the past six months:

Global insect decline is a major concern for researchers as insects build the foundation of many ecosystem services and food webs. My study species, the Tree Swallow, are aerial insectivores that feed on flying insects. We want to know: are insects declining in Massachusetts? and is this decline related to an observed decline in Tree Swallow reproductive success?

Tree Swallow young

To answer these questions we are collecting flying insects this summer to compare to historic data as well as monitoring Tree Swallow reproduction in a Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary.

Insects collected from one of our collection nets

These data will help us gain understanding of the state of insect decline in Massachusetts, without the sensational headlines.