Patterns of high-flying insect abundance are shaped by landscape type and abiotic conditions.

Insects are of increasing conservation concern as a severe decline of both biomass and biodiversity have been reported. At the same time, data on where and when they occur in the airspace is still sparse, and we currently do not know whether their density is linked to the type of landscape above which they occur. Here, we combined data of high-flying insect abundance from six locations across Switzerland representing rural, urban and mountainous landscapes, which was recorded using vertical-looking radar devices.