I guess that I should have worded that more carefully Mike.
Here in Calif, butterfly and moth species are disappearing from long-term
transect sightings over the same locations (by UC Davis researcher).  One
species of bumblebee in the area also appears to have gone extinct.

As far as baseline, for *any* species of large insect go go extinct in my
area in my lifetime is cause for concern, due to simple arithmetic.  There
are roughly 75 species of butterflies recorded for Sacramento County
(covered by UC Davis surveys).  At an extinction rate of even one per my
lifetime, it would take less than 6000 years for them all to go extinct.
This rate appears to be far more rapid than the rate of formation of new
species.  Ergo indicating that the current rate of extinction greatly
exceeds the historical rate of speciation.

-- 
Randy Oliver
Grass Valley, CA
www.ScientificBeekeeping.com

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