D3355: We want you! Join our network of field sites to contribute toward a growing dataset of aerial insect communities across North America

Long-term research studies covering large geographical areas are critical to understanding the effects of global change and prioritizing conservation efforts. Dunn et al. published a paper in Ecology earlier this year demonstrating the value of such datasets. The study involved 96 field sites which surveyed the aerial insect community in grassy habitats using Malaise traps between 2019-2021 (n=1041 samples), and examined the biomass of insects at the order level in relation to temperature and time of season. We found strong regional differences in the phenology of insects and their response to temperature, even within the same taxonomic group, habitat type, and time of season. For example, the biomass of nematoceran flies increased across the season in the central part of the continent, but it only showed a small increase in the Northeast and a seasonal decline in the Southeast and West. Our study illustrates that large-scale predictions about changes in insect populations, and their causes, will need to incorporate regional and taxonomic differences in the response to temperature. In light of these findings, we are interested in continuing the study and growing our network of field sites. The protocol is simple and involves minimal labor, cost, and time. Please consider joining us in 2024!