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Benedikt Schmidt from the University of Zurich and Silviu Petrovan from Froglife used citizen science data from the U.K. and Switzerland to assess long-term national and regional trends for one of Europe’s most abundant amphibian species, the common toad. Their findings, published in PLOS ONE, show a surprisingly severe and long-term decline in both Swiss and U.K. populations, with implications for amphibian conservation. To learn more about the study and the significance of its results, I interviewed Dr. Schmidt via email.

Neonicotinoid insecticides like thiacloprid enter agricultural surface waters, where they may affect predator-prey-interactions, which are of central importance for ecosystems as well as the functions these systems provide. The effects of field relevant thiacloprid concentrations on the leaf consumption of Gammarus fossarum (Amphipoda) were assessed over 96 h (n = 13-17) in conjunction with its predation on Baetis rhodani (Ephemeroptera) nymphs. The predation by Gammarus increased significantly at 0.50-1.00 microgram/L.

On Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service gave seven species of yellow-faced bees that are native to Hawaii islands an endangered status. The Xerces Society, the conservation group that advocated for the bees' new designation, said that these are the first bees in the country to be included in the endangered species list. Once among the most populous species of insects in Hawaii, the yellow-faced bees experienced a sharp drop in number over the past century. The population decline is blamed on humans destroying bee habitats and using crop dusting that are toxic to the pollinators.

A slender shorebird stood motionless in the shallow reflecting water. Its dark blues and purples seemed to emerge from the grasses themselves. Slowly, the neck and head began to sway slightly. The scene was hypnotic. A lightning flash of action broke the spell. The dagger-like bill of the little blue heron (Egretta caerulea) had snatched an unsuspecting fish. After a vigorous shake, the bird gulped down its dinner. The frenzy of action lasted just a few seconds. Little blues prefer shallow, quiet waters for hunting. The water can be saline like the marsh I was standing in or fresh.

Embraced by kings and freedom fighters alike, Myanmar’s peacocks have long been a national symbol of pride and resistance – but they are becoming ever harder to spot in the wild. Decades ago the birds, with their bright green plumage and famously ostentatious male tail feathers, were ubiquitous. For Myanmar, the declining peacock population is more than just a conservation tragedy – it’s a blow to the national psyche. The bird occupies a lofty place in the country’s culture. For decades it was the official symbol of Myanmar’s last kings, the Konbaung dynasty.

State wildlife officials found hundreds of dead whitefish in the Yellowstone River above Livingston on Friday, confirming reports of a large-scale fish kill. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks said in a news release that staff found 382 dead whitefish on the east bank of the river during a float from the Loch Leven Fishing Access Site to Pine Creek Fishing Access Site. “We consider this to be a significant event,” FWP regional supervisor Sam Sheppard said in the release of August 12.

Throughout North America, many species of aerial insectivorous birds have exhibited steep declines. The timing of these declines coincides with changes in agriculture, perhaps signaling a causal link. Increased agrochemical use, wetland drainage, and cropping intensity may indirectly influence insectivores by reducing the abundance of insect prey. Our objective was to determine whether changes in insect abundance and biomass on agricultural landscapes in the Canadian Prairies influence the foraging behaviour of breeding Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)).

The butterfly fauna of lowland Northern California has exhibited a marked decline in recent years that previous studies have attributed in part to altered climatic conditions and changes in land use. Here we ask if a shift in insecticide use towards neonicotinoids is associated with butterfly declines at four sites in the region that have been monitored for four decades. A negative association between butterfly populations and increasing neonicotinoid application is detectable while controlling for land use and other factors, and appears to be more severe for smaller-bodied species.

The rusty patched bumble bee population has finally reached endangered levels. On Wednesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed the bees be classified as an endangered species—the first wild bee species in the continental U.S. to be formally recommended for federal protection under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, according to Reuters. The bees, scientifically known as Bombus affinis, are nicknamed for the red blotch on their abdomen.