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ONE of the UK’s most widespread butterflies is in a state of significant decline. The Small Copper, which can be spotted in Dorset, has suffered its worst year on record, according to a study. The annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS) found the number of Small Coppers fell by almost 25 per cent last year compared to 2014. The UKBMS said 34 of the 57 butterfly species monitored experienced declines. The Heath Fritillary, one of the UK’s scarcest species, also suffered its worst year on record with numbers down 16 per cent compared to 2014.

Hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) numbers in Ireland are continuing to decline, according to the results of a new survey. The number of breeding pairs has also declined even within special areas of conservation set up to protect the bird. The 2015 survey showed there are between 108 and 157 breeding pairs across Ireland, down by 8.7 per cent since the 2010 survey, the research team said.

Householders waiting for the return of house martins (Delichon urbicum) may be in for disappointment this year. Research shows that the number of pairs breeding in the South West is in decline. The birds usually return to their nesting sites under the eaves in April and May after a long migration from winter feeding grounds in Africa. They are widely regarded as a harbinger of spring and in long, warm summers, may even go on to have a second brood.

Scientific experts, from both sides of the endocrine debate, have agreed a “consensus statement” on identifying endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which will be passed to the European Commission to support its work compiling regulatory criteria. Chaired by Dame Anne Glover from Aberdeen University, 23 scientists, including Andreas Kortenkamp from Brunel University and Alan Boobis from Imperial College London, achieved a “breakthrough in the scientific discussion”, says the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), which hosted the meeting in Berlin on 11-12 April.

Many insects are considered to be pests by humans. However, insects are also very important for numerous reasons. Insects can be found in every environment on Earth. While a select few insects, such as the Arctic Wooly Bear Moth, live in the harsh Arctic climate, the majority of insects are found in the warm and moist tropics. Insects have adapted to a broad range of habitats, successfully finding their own niche, because they will eat almost any substance that has nutritional value. Insects are crucial components of many ecosystems, where they perform many important functions.

The Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix) was once the most widespread and heavily exploited game bird in the UK; its historic fondness for grassy steppe habitats allowing it to adapt readily to cultivated ecosystems. Indeed, during the 18th and 19th century, aided by an increase in arable farming, land enclosure and widespread predator control the partridge population expanded considerably. So much so that between 1870 and 1930, upwards of two million Grey Partridge were shot in the UK each year.

Australia’s federal pesticide regulator has backed calls from researchers for further study into a potential link between the use of pesticides and increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) spokeswoman Dr Raj Bhula told SBS the organisation believed further research was justified, but said there was not any: “clear-cut evidence that links the two together”. The call comes following the discovery of a Parkinson’s disease cluster in a barley, chickpea and lentil farming region of north-west Victoria.

Canberra's iconic scarlet robin (Petroica boodang) is at risk of extinction if action is not taken. The tiny insect-feeding, shrub-dwelling bird was listed as vulnerable in the ACT last year. But Dr Annie Lane, ACT conservator for flora and fauna, said the population had continued to decline. "It's a steady decline and if we don't arrest that decline, in 30 years we may not be seeing that species any longer," she told ABC Canberra.

After a decade of intense research on the problems affecting bees, we gain clarity over the once blurry picture of confounding factors that included parasites, pathogens, pesticides, lack of food, and others stressors. On the one hand is it obvious that all those factors contribute to the problems observed. On the other, it has become evident that neonicotinoids (and insecticides like fipronil and perhaps others not yet identified) play a crucial role as the promoters of pathogen and parasite infections that effectively drive colony losses.