Question Microplastics in Antarctica's Only Insect

Title: Even Antarctica Isn’t Safe: Microplastics Found Inside the Continent’s Only Insect
Author: Jordan Strickler, University of Kentucky
Published: Janurary 18th, 2026
Publisher: SciTechDaily

From the Article: 
'An international team of scientists led by researchers at the University of Kentucky Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has discovered that Antarctica’s only native insect is already consuming microplastics, even in one of the most isolated environments on Earth.'

'The project was led by Jack Devlin, who  began the work in 2020  during his Ph.D. studies before later relocating to Scotland to work as a marine ornithologist.'

The insect: 
'Belgica antarctica, the species at the center of the study, is a tiny nonbiting midge roughly the size of a grain of rice. It is the southernmost insect on the planet and the only insect species found exclusively in Antarctica. Its larvae live in damp patches of moss and algae along the Antarctic Peninsula, where they can reach densities of nearly 40,000 individuals per square meter. By feeding on decaying plant material, they play an important role in recycling nutrients back into the soil.'

The Effect of Plastic:'Devlin said the researchers ran the midge larvae through a series of tests and were surprised by what they found.“Even at the highest plastic concentrations, survival didn’t drop,” Devlin said. “Their basic metabolism didn’t change either. On the surface, they seemed to be doing fine.'

'But when the team examined the larvae more closely, they detected a small trade-off. Those exposed to higher levels of microplastics had reduced fat stores, even though their carbohydrate and protein levels stayed largely the same.Devlin said the insects may take in less plastic because they feed more slowly in cold conditions and because the natural soil they live in is complex. He added that the experiment lasted only 10 days due to the logistical difficulties of doing research in Antarctica. To better understand what microplastic exposure could mean over time, he said longer-term studies will be necessary.'

'The project’s second phase focused on a more basic question: Are wild Belgica larvae in Antarctica already ingesting microplastics?'

'After examining 40 larvae from across the region they found only two microplastic fragments.'

'“Antarctica still has much lower plastic levels than most of the planet, and that’s good news,” Devlin said. “Our study suggests that, right now, microplastics are not flooding these soil communities. But we can now say they are getting into the system, and at high enough levels they start to change the insect’s energy balance.'

'For Devlin, the findings show how far human pollution has spread.'

'This started because I watched a documentary and thought, ‘Surely Antarctica is one of the last places not dealing with this,’” Devlin said. “Then you go there, you work with this incredible little insect that lives where there are no trees, barely any plants, and you still find plastic in its gut. That really brings home how widespread the problem is.'

Source: scitechdaily.com/even-antarctica-isnt-safe-microplastics-found-inside-the-continents-only-insect/

Research:  “Prevalence and consequences of microplastic ingestion in the world’s southernmost insect, Belgica antarctica” by Jack J. Devlin, Cleverson Lima, Yuta Kawarasaki, J.D. Gantz, Vitor A.C. Pavinato, Marco Scaramelli, Valentina Ferrari, Lisa Vaccari, Giovanni Birarda, Elisa Bergami, Andrew P. Michel, Peter Convey, Scott A.L. Hayward and Nicholas M. Teets, 15 November 2025, Science of The Total Environment.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.180800