Long-term decline in abundance and distribution of the garden tiger moth ( Arctia caja ) in Great Britain
Abstract
The garden tiger moth (Arctia caja) was once widespread and common in the UK. Data collected using the standard light-traps of the Rothamsted Insect Survey over Great Britain from 1968 to 1998 showed that A. caja abundance fluctuated near 4.2 captures per site until 1983, and then fell 28% to an average of 3.0 captures per site after 1984. The collated index, frequently used to monitor UK butterfly abundance, was not suitable to detect this large, 1-year population change. Four years after the sudden decrease in abundance, the proportion of sites occupied also fell rapidly from an average of 0.60 to an average of 0.42 (30%). Contrary to most UK butterflies, which are expected to increase under the UK climate change scenarios of global warming, linear regression modelling showed that warm, wet winters and springs may be detrimental to A. caja and it is therefore predicted to decrease further.
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Current data suggest an overall pattern of decline in insect diversity and abundance.
“Current data suggest an overall pattern of decline in insect diversity and abundance.”
From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [15]
Climate change is a well-known factor responsible for insect declines.
“Climate change is a well-known factor responsible for insect declines [15, 18, 21, 37].”
From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [15]
Data for bees and moths suggest the same declining trend as for other well-studied taxa.
“Data for other well-studied taxa such as bees [8–14] and moths [15–18] suggest the same trend.”
From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [15]
The analysis renders landscape and climate change as unlikely explanatory factors for the major decline in aerial insect biomass in the investigated protected areas.
“In light of previously suggested driving mechanisms, our analysis renders two of the prime suspects, i.e. landscape [9, 18, 20] and climate change [15, 18, 21, 37], as unlikely explanatory factors for this major decline in aerial insect biomass in the investigated protected areas.”
From More than 75 percent decline over 27 years in total flying insect biomass in protected areas (2017) · cites this paper as [15]
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- Authors
- Conrad, K. F., Woiwod, I. P., & Perry, J. N.
- Affiliations
- Rothamsted Research (GB)
- ORCID
- Perry, Joe N.
- Venue
- Biological Conservation
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2002-08
- Volume
- 106
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 329-337
- ISSN
- 0006-3207 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2074906909
- Cited by
- 95
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 5 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 1.59
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Conservation (publishedVersion)
- Rothamsted Repository (Rothamsted Repository) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Lepidoptera: Biology and Taxonomy
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecological Modeling › Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Entomological Studies and Ecology
- Keywords
- garden tiger moth, long-term population decline, abundance, species distribution, light trap monitoring, Rothamsted Insect Survey, climate change, Great Britain
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