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A federal study published in the journal Environmental Science and Technology shows smaller amounts of a common bug killer may be more harmful in Midwest streams than previously thought. The chemical compound bifenthrin is used to kill mosquitoes, aphids on crops, and ants and termites in households. But the insecticide also gets into waterways. USGS scientists evaluated the effects of bifenthrin on natural communities of stream invertebrates, such as mayflies and midges, using artificial streams.

The first time Clay Bolt saw the rusty patched bumblebee was in the invertebrate collection at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The nature photographer was being shown around the collection by a park entomologist, who led him to a pinned specimen of Bombus affinis, no bigger than the tip of your thumb. The bee looked similar to others Bolt had seen as part of his project to photograph native bees, except for an amber-colored patch on its second abdominal section. Yet he was immediately drawn to its plight.

Ontario environmental commissioner Dianne Saxe cites a “large-scale loss of biodiversity,” calling it a “crisis in our province and around the world” — a situation she called a “terrible tragedy.” Ontario’s environmental watchdog has warned the government that it needs to do more to conserve the province’s biodiversity. Saxe says the Liberals need to take action to: combat wildlife declines, control invasive species, better monitor biodiversity, and implement better forest fire management, by letting more fires burn to enhance wildlife habitat.

German Entomology Experts sound the Alarm over the accelerating loss of bees and insect species and demand immediate government action. In particular the entomologists are concerned over the massive decline in wild bee populations; Entire landscapes which are completely devoid of pollinating insects: this nightmare situation is already a reality in China. In Sezchuan, pears, apples, plums and almonds have to be pollinated by human hands, because all the bees are dead; in a few years, unless urgent action is taken, this could happen in Germany.

Habitat loss and exposure to pesticides are likely primary factors contributing to amphibian decline in agricultural landscapes. We examined the presence of pesticides and nutrients in water and sediment as indicators of habitat quality and assessed the bioaccumulation of pesticides in the tissue of two native amphibian species Pseudacris maculata (chorus frogs) and Lithobates pipiens (leopard frogs) at six wetlands (3 restored and 3 reference) in Iowa, USA. Concentrations of the pesticides frequently detected in water and sediment samples were not different between wetland types.

A crowd of several hundred people gathered in the growing darkness outside Chapman Elementary School in Portland, Oregon, before the first Vaux's Swift darted into view high above. Minutes later, thousands of the tiny birds were swooping and swirling like a cloud of pulsating black ink as they circled a tall brick chimney silhouetted by the fading light. The humans below, watching from a patchwork of blankets and empty picnic baskets, cheered as the flock poured into the chimney all at once, like water spiraling down a drain.

Global wildlife populations are set to have fallen by more than two thirds on 1970 levels by the end of the decade, conservationists warn. Assessment of 14,152 populations of 3,706 species of mammals, birds, fish, amphibians and reptiles from around the world reveals a 58% fall between 1970 and 2012 - with no sign the average 2% drop in numbers each year will slow.

Most regulatory agencies assume that there is no safe level of exposure to carcinogens but that a threshold, or “safe” exposure level exists for non-carcinogens. However, recent discoveries have cast serious doubt on the validity of this concept. Five examples of non-carcinogens without an apparent threshold (neonicotinoids, dioxin, dieldrin, endocrine disruptors, and sulfhydryl-reactive metals) are presented. It is also clear by now that the threshold model for non-carcinogens may seriously underestimate actual risk.

THEY are best known for swooping and terrorising pedestrians but now it is the predatory magpies (Cracticus tibicen) who are fighting for their lives. A mystery illness has struck down record numbers of the black-and-white birds this year and puzzled wildlife officers are desperately trying to work out what is grounding the winged warriors. Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) volunteers have reported seeing dozens of sick and dying magpies on the northern beaches in recent days.

The Curlew (Numenius arquata) is a bird in crisis. Since 2007 they have been red-listed by the IUCN due to their small and declining breeding population. There has been widespread declines all across Europe but it’s the populations in Ireland that are worst hit. Estimates put the decline of native breeding pairs to 86% over the last 25 years. There are only a few hundred breeding pairs left in the country. The Curlew is the largest of the European wading birds.