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Plastics and insects: Records of ants entangled in synthetic fibres
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Researchers documented two ant species (Lasius grandis and Monomorium sp.) entangled in synthetic textile fibers in natural habitats on La Palma island, Spain, representing one of the first records of insects entangled in plastic pollution in natural terrestrial environments. The findings highlight an underappreciated pathway by which plastic fiber pollution can physically harm terrestrial invertebrates.
Abstract Plastic pollution is an emerging environmental risk, as it may negatively impact many species. However, much remains to be studied in terrestrial invertebrates, since the information in which this pollutant interacts with insects and soil fauna in natural environments is still limited. Here, we present records of two ant species, Lasius grandis (Forel, 1909) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Monomorium sp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), found entangled in synthetic fibres at the summit broom shrubland and canary pine forest in the island of La Palma (Spain), respectively. To our knowledge, this is one of the first reports of ants and other insects being entangled in plastics. Despite our small sample size, this interaction could be more widespread. Among other effects, ants could be transporting small plastic fragments to different soil horizons, but a greater knowledge of ants and other soil invertebrates interacting with plastics would help to improve our understanding of the relationship of this emerging pollutant with soil fauna in ecosystems with different degrees of human use.
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Researchers analyzed microplastic accumulation in 466 wild wasps across 16 regions of Eurasia and North Africa from 2012 to 2024, finding that all species carried microplastic fibers and fragments in their bodies, with contamination highest near coastal areas. The findings show that terrestrial insects can act as carriers that spread microplastics through land-based food webs.
Interaction of microplastics and terrestrial and aquatic insects (bioaccumulation, degradation, ecotoxicological effects)
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This review synthesizes research on how insects — both aquatic and terrestrial — interact with microplastics, covering ingestion, bioaccumulation, potential degradation, and toxic effects across many species. Insects represent a critical but understudied link in microplastic transfer through food webs: they occupy a pivotal trophic position, and contamination in insects can propagate to birds, fish, and other wildlife that depend on them. The review highlights significant knowledge gaps in terrestrial insect ecotoxicology compared to the better-studied aquatic realm.
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This review examines how insects interact with microplastics across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, including ingestion, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer to insectivorous predators. Insects are key links in food webs connecting environmental microplastic contamination to vertebrate animals and humans, making their role in microplastic transfer a critical and underappreciated exposure pathway.
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