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Entry 601Filed under Breeding

EPA’s 2022 Review Found Three Neonicotinoids Could Harm Many Endangered Species

EPA’s 2022 evaluations found clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam likely to adversely affect many listed species, but that is not a finding that they will go extinct.
2-minute read By Animalso Team
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Not exactly: the headline’s “driving … toward extinction” wording goes beyond what EPA concluded. On June 16, 2022, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said its evaluations found that three widely used neonicotinoid insecticides were “likely to adversely affect” many listed species. EPA defines that as a screening finding that at least one individual may be exposed at a level sufficient to cause an adverse effect—not a determination that a species will go extinct or is in jeopardy.

Which pesticides did EPA assess?

EPA’s June 2022 final biological evaluations covered clothianidin, imidacloprid, and thiamethoxam. The agency describes uses across crops, turf, ornamentals, and residential and commercial settings, indoors and outdoors. The evaluations considered potential effects on more than 1,700 listed species and more than 800 designated critical habitats in the United States. EPA’s release identifies the chemicals, scope, and findings.

What did EPA find?

EPA reported the following shares of species and designated critical habitats in its assessments as “likely to adversely affect” (LAA):

Insecticide Species with LAA finding Critical habitats with LAA finding
Clothianidin 67% 56%
Imidacloprid 79% 83%
Thiamethoxam 77% 81%

These percentages describe EPA’s assessment categories; they are not counts of species predicted to become extinct. The percentages also should not be read as the share of animals killed or as the proportion of a species’ population affected.

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What does “likely to adversely affect” mean?

EPA uses LAA when it reasonably expects that at least one individual of a listed species may be exposed to the pesticide at a level sufficient to have an adverse effect. The agency notes that likely “take” can include unintentional harm or death, and that even one individual may be enough to trigger an LAA determination.

An LAA finding is not the same as a final finding that a pesticide will jeopardize a species’ continued existence or adversely modify its designated critical habitat. EPA explicitly cautioned in its June 16, 2022 statement: “An LAA determination, however, does not necessarily mean that a pesticide is putting a species in jeopardy.”

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What happens after EPA’s evaluation?

EPA said it began formal consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service. Those agencies, known as the Services, conduct the consultation and issue biological opinions addressing jeopardy and adverse modification. Their opinions can also include mitigation measures. The EPA evaluation is therefore an important step in the process, not the final word on jeopardy or on any resulting protections.

Are these the latest pesticide findings?

No. The three neonicotinoid evaluations were released in 2022. EPA separately announced final evaluations for bicyclopyrone and benzovindiflupyr on September 30, 2025. For bicyclopyrone, EPA reported LAA findings for 803 listed species (46%) without jeopardy or adverse-modification findings, and for 155 species (9%) with such findings. For benzovindiflupyr, it reported 441 species (26%) without and 41 species (2%) with jeopardy or adverse-modification findings. These results concern different chemicals and should not be conflated with the 2022 neonicotinoid percentages. EPA said formal consultation would follow. Details are in the agency’s 2025 release.

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How can you check current pesticide protections?

EPA’s endangered-species pesticide program page links to evaluation chapters, effects determinations, pesticide restrictions, Bulletins Live! Two, and geospatial data. Restrictions and implementation details can change, so anyone checking a particular pesticide or location should consult current EPA materials and the product label rather than relying only on the 2022 headline or percentages.

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