Diesel exhaust and ozone adversely affect pollinators and parasitoids within flying insect communities

The effects of air pollution on human and animal health, and on the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems, are wide-ranging. This potentially includes the disruption of valuable services provided by flying insects (e.g. pollination and biological control). However, quantifying the extent of this disruption requires a clearer understanding of insect community responses at field-scale. 

By elevating diesel exhaust and ozone (O 3) pollutants, individually and in combination, over two summers, we investigated the field-scale effects of air pollution on the abundance and diversity of flying insects from pan traps. We quantified which groups of insects were more at risk of air pollution-mediated decline and whether responses to air pollution were influenced by the presence of flowering plants. In addition, a common pest of Brassicaceae, the large cabbage white butterfly (Pieris brassicae L.) was used to investigate the effects on oviposition success of the two interacting air pollutants. 

Air pollution had the most detrimental effects on pollinators and parasitoids, compared with other insect groups, lowering their abundance by up to 48 % and 32 %, respectively. The adverse effects of O 3 and diesel exhaust on pollinators occurred only when flowers were available, indicating the relative importance of floral odors compared with visual cues. Air pollutants resulted in either increased insect herbivore abundance or had no effect, potentially increasing the threat air pollution poses to food security. However, both pollutants resulted in decreased oviposition by cabbage white butterflies, which, if demonstrated to be a more ubiquitous phenomenon, may result in reduced larval pest damage. 

Quantifying the relative changes in composition and abundance among feeding guilds is valuable for predicting the effects of air pollution on insect communities. Of the groups identified, pollinators are likely to be at the greatest risk of air pollution-mediated decline due to their use of floral odour cues for foraging.