For the first time, long-term changes in total aerial insect biomass have been estimated for a wide area of Southern Britain. From 1973 to 2002, there was a significant decline in total biomass at Hereford. The Hereford samples were dominated by large Diptera, particularly Dilophus febrilis, which showed a significant decline in abundance. Diptera have been identified as important in the diets of adult and chicks across a range of species. The declines shown in Hereford are thus likely to have had some effect on the bird populations of the surrounding area.
For the first time, long-term changes in total aerial insect biomass have been estimated for a wide area of Southern Britain. From 1973 to 2002, there was a significant decline in total biomass at Hereford. The Hereford samples were dominated by large Diptera, particularly Dilophus febrilis, which showed a significant decline in abundance. Diptera have been identified as important in the diets of adult and chicks across a range of species. The declines shown in Hereford are thus likely to have had some effect on the bird populations of the surrounding area.
