"The disappearance of insects" will be the theme of the next Science Bar

[Press release] - Published on January 16, 2025 in Press Corner, Science-Society

The next Bar des Sciences organized by the University of Montpellier will take place on January 23, starting at 8:30 pm. For this year's event, Julien HARAN (CBGP, CIRAD), a taxonomic entomologist, Antoine FRAIMOUT (CBGP, INRAE), an evolutionary geneticist specializing in population ecology and genetics, and Ennaloël MATEO-ESPADA (OPIE), a researcher at the Office pour les insectes et leur environnement, will discuss "Wasps, bugs, midges: is the decline of insects really so serious?

The Bar des sciences has become one of Montpellier's flagship events for scientific culture, offering once a month, from January to June, a participatory and civic debate on all aspects of science. Throughout the season, scientists are invited to engage in a dialogue in which their knowledge and practices are not only shared, but also discussed. The season is co-produced by the UM's scientific culture services and its partners: Inrae, Inserm and IRD. This evening will be translated into sign language. Admission free, subject to availability.

A Science Bar dedicated to the disappearance of insects

The decline of insects, a widely publicized phenomenon, raises crucial questions: what are the causes of this disappearance? What impact does it have on our environment and our daily lives? And why does this fundamental issue still seem to receive so little attention? For over twenty years, scientists have been sounding the alarm, but the subject remains too often ignored.

And yet, the facts are clear: insect populations in European agricultural landscapes have fallen by 70-80%, and the rate of decline is accelerating. Although these little creatures are often perceived as pests, they play a fundamental role in pollination, pest control and soil fertility. To ignore this decline is to risk upsetting an entire ecological balance.

Three multidisciplinary experts will be on hand to answer questions from the public on the subject of science and society:

• Julien HARAN (CBGP, CIRAD) entomologist and taxonomist for 10 years, specializing in the study of weevils, a group of phytophagous beetles, to better understand their role in tropical agrosystems.

• Antoine FRAIMOUT (CBGP, INRAE) an evolutionary geneticist specializing in population ecology and genetics, he studies the adaptation of invasive species to environmental change.
• Ennaloël MATEO-ESPADA (OPIE) in charge of studies at the Office pour les insectes et leur environnement and a passionate entomologist, she shares her love of insects and photography with the public via podcasts, articles and conferences.

Admission free, subject to availability.