According to the Regional Agency for Biodiversity (ARB), in Île-de-France, almost a quarter of orthoptera insects are threatened with extinction. In question, intensive farming practices, pollution and climate change.
Crickets, Grasshoppers, Grasshoppers, Praying Mantis… This red list, published in collaboration with the Bureau of Insects and their Environment (Opie), focused exclusively on the family of 63 Orthoptera insect species. Of these, 6% of the species have already disappeared, 22% are endangered and 11% are considered “vulnerable”.
In recent decades, Île-de-France has had an increasing number of insect species previously absent from its territory. This is, for example, the case with the Italian cricket, the praying mantis or the turquoise oedipod, which are normally found in the south of France. In contrast, the grasshopper, native to regions of Ile-de-France such as Yvelines and Sud-Essonne, is threatened with extinction on a regional scale due to the destruction of its habitats, but also due to excessively dry winters.
According to the report, “These alarming figures mainly point to the role of degradation, fragmentation, disappearance of dry grasslands, pastures and wetlands in Île-de-France”†
The study draws attention to solutions for preserving the habitats of these insects. For example, reduce the use of pesticides in green spaces, limit the artificial nature of the soil or even strengthen the protection of open natural environments.
(ETX Daily Up)