Numerous declines have been documented across insect groups, and the potential consequences of insect losses are dire. Butterflies are the most surveyed insect taxa, yet analyses have been limited in geographic scale or rely on data from a single monitoring program. Using records of 12.6 million individual butterflies from >76,000 surveys across 35 monitoring programs, we characterized overall and species-specific butterfly abundance trends across the contiguous United States. Between 2000 and 2020, total butterfly abundance fell by 22% across the 554 recorded species. Species-level declines were widespread, with 13 times as many species declining as increasing. The prevalence of declines throughout all regions in the United States highlights an urgent need to protect butterflies from further losses.

Fireflies are a diverse group of bioluminescent beetles belonging to the family Lampyridae. Recent research on their diversity, evolution, behavior and conservation has greatly advanced our scientific understanding of these charismatic insects. In this review, we first summarize new discoveries about their taxonomic and ecological diversity, then focus on recent endeavors to identify and protect threatened fireflies around the world. We outline the main threats linked to recent population declines (habitat loss and degradation, light pollution, pesticide overuse, climate change and tourism) and describe relevant risk factors that predict which species will be particularly vulnerable to these threats. Although global coordination of firefly conservation efforts has begun only recently, considerable progress has already been made. We describe work by the IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group to identify species currently facing elevated extinction risks and to devise conservation strategies to protect them. To date, IUCN Red List assessments have been completed for 150 firefly taxa, about 20% of which face heightened extinction risks. The conservation status for many species has yet to be determined due to insufficient information, although targeted surveys and community science projects have contributed valuable new data. Finally, we highlight some examples of successful firefly habitat protection and restoration efforts, and we use the framework of the IUCN SSC Species Conservation Cycle to point out high-priority actions for future firefly conservation efforts.

Changes in phenology are a common response to climate change, but their impact on population dynamics is often ambiguous and at-risk species are omitted from most analyses. We assessed the relationship between change in abundance and change in phenology for 114 butterfly populations of 31 at-risk species from five families in 10 US states. We used data from Pollard-walk and similar monitoring programmes for which count data were collected on multiple occasions per year. We also collected information from managers on site-level management interventions. To estimate abundance, we first fit separate smoothing splines for each species at each site. Yearly abundance was estimated as the area under the activity curve for that year, and from this, we estimated abundance trends over the period for which we had population data. Phenological shifts were measured as the changes in median activity date, beginning of flight season, duration of flight season and phenological constancy (negative of the magnitude of trends in median activity date). We also evaluated the association of ecological traits (voltinism, diet breadth, position within geographic range, ecoregion, overwintering stage and seasonality) and management (proportion of years with interventions) with trends in abundance and in phenology. Across all populations, the estimated trend in abundance was -0.085, equivalent to an 8.1% decline/year. Positive trends in abundance were associated with smaller shifts in the median flight date (higher constancy). We also found strong associations between trends in abundance and management interventions, with increased management associated with increasing abundance trends. In general, ecological traits were not strongly associated with trends in phenology or trends in abundance. Synthesis and applications: Populations with less phenological constancy are more likely to be rapidly declining and populations with more frequent management interventions are increasing. These results suggest that one key outcome of management interventions may be to mitigate some of the impacts of climate change, which in turn may contribute to higher population growth. These results also imply that managers may need to alter the timing of appropriate management to synchronize with activities of at-risk species as species shift their phenology. Populations with less phenological constancy are more likely to be rapidly declining and populations with more frequent management interventions are increasing. These results suggest that one key outcome of management interventions may be to mitigate some of the impacts of climate change, which in turn may contribute to higher population growth. These results also imply that managers may need to alter the timing of appropriate management to synchronize with activities of at-risk species as species shift their phenology.image

ABSTRACT The northern forestfly, Lednia borealis (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) is a rare montane stonefly believed to be endemic to Washington. The species, first recognized as a valid taxon in 2010, is the only member of the genus Lednia known from the state. Like other species in its genus, it is found in mid- to high-elevation cold water habitat, including lakes, glacial-fed streams, and rheocrenes (channelized springs). Lednia species in general appear to be rare or at least rarely collected. Because of their reliance on alpine and subalpine habitat, Lednia may be especially vulnerable to threats associated with climate change. However, relatively little is known about this species, and distribution data are scarce. From 2015 to 2019, 94 sites were surveyed in order to document unmapped populations of Lednia borealis to improve range and distributional information from montane areas of Washington State. In this paper, we share locations of L. borealis documented to date, including collections from eight newly documented Lednia sites in the Mt. Baker and Glacier Peak Wildernesses in the Cascade Mountains of Washington, and report recent COI barcoding results. We also provide updated details on the species’ distribution, highlight a confirmed habitat association with glacial edge meltwater, and provide recommendations for future surveys.

Rapid recession of glaciers and snowfields is threatening the habitats of cold-water biodiversity worldwide. In many ice-sourced headwaters of western North America, stoneflies in the genus Lednia (Plecoptera: Nemouridae) are a prominent member of the invertebrate community. With a broad distribution in mountain streams and close ties to declining glacier cover, Lednia has emerged as a sentinel of climate change threats to high-elevation aquatic biodiversity. Lednia tumana, which is endemic to Glacier National Park, USA and the surrounding mountains, is the most well-studied species in the genus and in 2019 became federally protected under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA) due to climate-induced loss of meltwater habitats. Three other Lednia species have also been described, and like L. tumana, each is endemic to a mountain region of western North America: Lednia sierra in the Sierra Nevada, Lednia borealis in the Cascade Range, and Lednia tetonica in the Teton Range. In this review, we provide a comprehensive overview of Lednia ecology, genetics, and physiology, with an emphasis on the conservation outlook for the group and species with similar headwater distributions. We highlight substantial progress made in the last decade to better understand the ecology and evolution of Lednia, including the identification of 140 Lednia-containing streams (an increase from 12 streams in 2010), and a more complete understanding of the degree to which warming streams may imperil species in the genus. In light of the ESA listing of L. tumana, we show that similar conservation threats likely face all extant Lednia species. However, substantial gaps in our knowledge remain, primarily centering around their distributions (and the potential for as yet undescribed species), life history, ecophysiology, and trophic ecology. We conclude by describing pressing questions for Lednia that when addressed will expand knowledge of the genus and its conservation as well as broader understanding of climate risks to mountain stream biodiversity worldwide.

Abstract. The northern forestfly, Lednia borealis Baumann and Kondratieff, 2010 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae), is a rare montane stonefly that until recently was thought to be endemic to Washington State. It is one of 4 described Lednia species in the western United States and Canada and the only member of its genus known to occur in Washington. All 4 Lednia species are associated with cold-water habitat in alpine and subalpine habitats; because of this, they may be especially vulnerable to threats associated with climate change. However, L. borealis is rarely targeted in species inventories or survey efforts, and more information is needed about its distribution and habitat associations in order to assess its conservation status. To address these data gaps, we conducted targeted surveys at 94 sites in montane areas of Washington State from 2015 to 2019. We collected L. borealis at only 8 of these (8.5%), bringing the total number of known sites to 19. In this paper, we update the known distribution for the species, report recent COI barcoding results, highlight a confirmed habitat association with glacial edge meltwater, and provide recommendations for future surveys. Resumen. El plecóptero del norte, Lednia borealis Baumann y Kondratieff, 2010 (Plecoptera: Nemouridae), es una mosca de montaña poco común que hasta hace poco se consideraba endémica del estado de Washington. Se trata de una de las cuatro especies de Lednia descritas en el oeste de EE. UU. y Canadá y el único miembro de su género que se sabe que se encuentra en Washington. Las cuatro especies de Lednia están asociadas con zonas de agua fría en hábitats alpinos y subalpinos. Debido a lo anterior, pueden ser especialmente vulnerables a las amenazas asociadas con el cambio climático. Sin embargo, L. borealis rara vez es objeto de inventarios o estudios de la especie, por ello, es necesaria más información sobre la distribución y asociación de hábitat para evaluar su estado de conservación. Para abordar esta carencia de datos, llevamos a cabo muestreos específicos en 94 sitios en áreas montañosas del estado de Washington entre los años 2015 y 2019. Recolectamos al plecóptero L. borealis únicamente en ocho de estas áreas (8.5%), lo que aumenta a 19 el número total de sitios conocidos. En este documento, actualizamos la distribución conocida de la especie, reportamos los resultados recientes de los códigos de barras de COI, destacamos la asociación de hábitat confirmada con el agua de deshielo del borde de los glaciares y brindamos recomendaciones para estudios futuros.

Fireflies are a family of charismatic beetles known for their bioluminescent signals. Recent anecdotal reports suggest that firefly populations in North America may be in decline. However, prior to this work, no studies have undertaken a systematic compilation of geographic distribution, habitat specificity, and threats facing North American fireflies. To better understand their extinction risks, we conducted baseline assessments according to the categories and criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List for 132 species from the United States and Canada (approximately 79% of described species in the region). We found at least 18 species (14%) are threatened with extinction (e.g. categorized as Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable) due to various pressures, including habitat loss, light pollution, and climate change (sea level rise and drought). In addition, more than half of the species (53%) could not be evaluated against the assessment criteria due to insufficient data, highlighting the need for further study. Future research and conservation efforts should prioritize monitoring and protecting populations of at-risk species, preserving and restoring habitat, gathering data on population trends, and filling critical information gaps for data deficient species suspected to be at risk.

The monarch butterfly is one of the most easily recognized and frequently studied insects in the world, and has recently come into the spotlight of public attention and conservation concern because of declining numbers of individuals associated with both the eastern and western migrations. Historically, the larger eastern migration has received the most scientific attention, but this has been changing in recent years, and here we report the largest-ever attempt to map and characterize non-overwintering habitat for the western monarch butterfly. Across the environmentally and topographically complex western landscape, we include 8,427 observations of adults and juvenile monarchs, as well as 20,696 records from 13 milkweed host plant species. We find high heterogeneity of suitable habitats across the geographic range, with extensive concentrations in the California floristic province in particular. We also find habitat suitability for the butterfly to be structured primarily by host plant habitat associations, which are in turn structured by a diverse suite of climatic variables. These results add to our knowledge of range and occupancy determinants for migratory species and provide a tool that can be used by conservation biologists and researchers interested in interactions among climate, hosts and host-specific animals, and by managers for prioritizing future conservation actions at regional to watershed scales.

Insect declines and their drivers have attracted considerable recent attention. Fireflies and glowworms are iconic insects whose conspicuous bioluminescent courtship displays carry unique cultural significance, giving them economic value as ecotourist attractions. Despite evidence of declines, a comprehensive review of the conservation status and threats facing the approximately 2000 firefly species worldwide is lacking. We conducted a survey of experts from diverse geographic regions to identify the most prominent perceived threats to firefly population and species persistence. Habitat loss, light pollution, and pesticide use were regarded as the most serious threats, although rankings differed substantially across regions. Our survey results accompany a comprehensive review of current evidence concerning the impact of these stressors on firefly populations. We also discuss risk factors likely to increase the vulnerability of certain species to particular threats. Finally, we highlight the need to establish monitoring programs to track long-term population trends for at-risk firefly taxa.