Butterfly ranges shift worldwide amid climate change, with most species expanding their reach
A global analysis of range-shift records for 1,758 butterfly species—10% of known butterfly species—found that 80% had expanded their range and that 79% of all recorded range shifts were linked to climate change and extreme weather events. The new study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, also reports range contractions for 27% of species, and 22% of species showed a change in elevation.…
An extensive global study has discovered that 80% of 1,758 butterfly species have expanded their ranges due to climate change and extreme weather events, while 27% have contracted their ranges and 22% have shifted elevation. The research, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, analyzed 6,182 records from 105 countries, revealing that butterfly range shifts are occurring on every continent, with particularly high numbers in tropical countries.
Contractions were more common in temperate regions like Europe and North America, while elevational shifts were almost exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere. However, the study also highlights significant gaps in monitoring efforts, particularly in regions like Central Africa, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and the Amazon Basin, which are globally important biodiversity hotspots.
Researchers emphasize the urgent need for coordinated action to expand butterfly range monitoring globally, as current data gaps risk compromising conservation efforts.
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