Strong negative effects of recent wildfires on two endemic Macaronesian bush‐crickets

Abstract

Abstract Wildfires increase globally in frequency and extent as a consequence of climate change. These wildfires may have negative effects on insect populations. Macaronesia is a global biodiversity hotspot with wildfires occurring annually, but the consequences of these wildfires on endemic insects are poorly understood. Using bioacoustics monitoring, we studied the consequences of recent wildfires on two endemic silvicolous Macaronesian Bush‐Cricket species, which are listed as threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Our results show that wildfires had strong negative effects on populations of both species. However, when analysing the effects of fire history and size, we found that one of the species was found on older burnt sites, suggesting a capacity to recolonise smaller burnt areas from adjacent non‐burnt areas. Reducing wildfire frequency and size will be crucial to conserving the two species. Additionally, restoring native laurel forest vegetation will support the recovery of both species.