Major Decline in Bug Splatter on Vehicles Raises Fears Over Disappearing UK Insects: Study

Many drivers may understand feeling sad or frustrated over bugs splattered across the front of the car from regular use. In just a short trip to work and back or to run errands, your car could have countless tiny splatters across the windshield, hood and front bumper. But based on a new report in the UK, a decline in bug splatter on vehicles could be a troubling sign of rapidly declining insect populations.

The report is not the first to consider the so-called “windshield phenomenon” or “windshield anecdote,” a term coined by Canadian entomologist John Acorn in 2016. Acorn noted the experience of people driving along their regular routes, yet noticing fewer bug splatters than usual.

The latest 2024 Bugs Matter report, which tapped citizen science survey data from nature conservation charity Buglife, confirmed that this phenomenon had numbers to back it. According to the report, the number of bug splatters on vehicle license plates in the UK has declined 63% since 2021.

The 2024 Bugs Matter citizen science survey results are in, and they paint a concerning picture. Join the fight starting tomorrow, May 1 and download the free mobile app and contribute to our understanding of insect populations. 🐝🌱 Full story here: kwtg.uk/3SbUquT   #BugsMatter #CitizenScience

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— Kent Wildlife Trust (@kentwildlife.bsky.social) April 30, 2025 at 5:59 AM

“This huge decrease in insect splats over such a short time is really alarming,” Lawrence Ball of the Kent Wildlife Trust said in a statement. “It’s most likely that we are seeing the compounding effects of both a background rate of decline as well as a short term cycle of decline, perhaps linked to the extreme climate in the UK in recent years.”

According to Ball, bug splatters declined 28% in 2022, 44% in 2023, and 8% in 2024. The highest decline from 2021 to 2024 occurred in Scotland, with a 65% drop, followed by Wales with 64% and England with 62%.

While the overall drop since 2021 is concerning, Ball explained that the trend could plateau in the future or reverse, should insect conservation efforts improve and succeed. The decline in bug splatters on vehicles should be a wakeup call to better protect insect populations, the report authors warned.

“The latest Bugs Matter data suggests that the abundance of flying insects in our countryside has fallen again,” Andrew Whitehouse, head of operations at Buglife, said in a statement. “The consequences are potentially far-reaching, not only impacting the health of the natural world, but affecting so many of the essential services that nature provides for us. Human activities continue to have a huge impact on nature, habitat loss and damage, pesticide use, pollution, and climate change all contribute to the decline in insects. Society must heed the warning signs of ecological collapse, and take urgent action to restore nature.”

Citizen scientists in the UK are being asked to participate in research for 2025. Participants can fill out their “splatometers” from May 1 to September 30 via a mobile app.

This is far from the first study to warn of declining insect populations. A study from 2020 showed that insect populations on land were declining by about 9% every decade. Separate research in 2021 showed that light pollution in particular had a profound impact on insects, leading to a 50% decline in moth caterpillar populations in areas of the UK. Again in 2021, scientists compiled several studies proving global decline of insect populations, a phenomenon that has been called the insect apocalypse.