Damselfly populations are being harmed by insecticides as researchers find the wildlife scourge of neonicotinoids continues to grow. Some chemicals in this group have already been banned by the EU but thiacloprid is still in widespread use. Similar chemicals in the neonicotinoid family have already been tied to severe decline in bee populations and now it appears the damage is more widespread. The team exposed caged and free-flying damselflies to realistic concentrations of the chemical in test ditches and found infected animals ate less, were less active and had a slowed reproductive growth rate.
Dozens of studies have shown that neonicotinoid exposure is the primary driver of colony collapse disorder and the decline of honeybees all over the world. This study says that other insects are also being negatively affected, including damselflies - which look like dragonflies but with slimmer bodies.
Source: Daily Mail Online, 8 July 2019
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-7224483/Deadly-pesticid…
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