Butterfly effects of climate change
The Australian National Insect Collection at CSIRO holds 2,000 drawers of butterfly specimens, including some that were collected more than a century ago.
The Australian National Insect Collection at CSIRO houses over 2,000 drawers of butterfly specimens, including some collected more than a century ago. These historical collections, along with modern data and photographs from citizen science databases, help researchers map how butterfly ranges in Australia have changed over time.
Taxonomist Dr. Michael Braby has found that at least 23 sedentary butterfly species have shifted their ranges southward during the past 20–30 years, with an average movement of 218 km (135 miles) per species. Most of these range shifters belong to the nymphalid and lycaenid families, which are colorful and well-studied. Dr. Braby believes climate change is the primary driver of range shifts, though other factors like introduced plant hosts and habitat disturbance may also play a role.
A recent study in Nature Ecology & Evolution confirms that around 10% of global butterfly species have altered their ranges, with climate change and severe weather events being the main drivers. To help map Australia's butterflies, the author encourages the public to use the iNaturalist app to take photos of local butterfly sightings.
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