Determining Terminal Velocities of Selected Insects and Substitute Materials to Develop Future Test Procedures for Insect‐Friendly Mowing Technology

ABSTRACT Agricultural grasslands are vital habitats for insects that provide key ecosystem services. However, conventional rotary mowers are proposed to cause significant insect mortality due to the high rotational speed of their blades and the resulting airflow. Therefore, innovative insect‐friendly mowers with modified airflows are developed to reduce the suction effect on grassland arthropods. However, no standardised and cost‐effective testing methods are currently available for these technologies. Here, we present a promising approach for future testing of insect‐friendly mowers. We determined the terminal velocities of grassland insects as well as materials that could potentially replace insects in standardised tests. In a comparative analysis of the terminal velocities of 15 insect species and nine substitute materials, we identified several substitutes with terminal velocities closely matching those of the tested insects. These materials are highly suitable for laboratory testing of insect‐friendly mowing techniques, particularly for evaluating the airflow and suction effects of the blades. Although substitute materials cannot replicate the natural responses of living insects to airflow, they provide a possible solution for standardised and scalable testing. This approach paves the way for a broader adoption of insect‐friendly mowing technologies, ensuring a balance between agricultural productivity and insect conservation.