Decline of three farmland pest species in rapidly urbanizing landscapes

Urbanization is a pressing challenge for earth’s humans because it is changing not only natural environments but also agricultural lands. Yet, the consequences of cropland loss on pest insect populations that largely depend on these habitats remain largely unclear. We used a 17-year data set to investigate the dynamics of three moth pest species (i.e., striped stem borer, yellow stem borer, and pink stem borer) and their driving forces across the largest mega-urban region of China. Total abundance of three pest species is declined by about 80%, which was strongly associated with cropland loss during rapid urbanization. Our findings indicate that not only the increasing conversion of natural areas to human-dominated landscapes but also that of agricultural lands to urban landscapes can be critical to insect populations. It is therefore essential to monitor and understand the insect dynamics in rapidly urbanizing regions, which are currently found in many developing countries worldwide. [Display omitted] •Urbanization has worldwide dramatic impacts on the earth's insects•Its relation to declining farmland pest insect populations remains greatly understudied•Consistent moth population decline coincided with a rapid process of urbanization•About 80% of such decline was due to loss of agricultural land Ecology; Entomology; Agricultural science; Economic entomology