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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/aug/05/butterflies-around-the-world-are-changing-habitats-and-experts-say-its-signalling-a-warning>
"Butterflies, often considered a “sentinel of change”, are on the move across
every continent they inhabit, shifting to survive as global heating reshapes
their environment.
About one in 10 species have already expanded or contracted their geographic
range, or shifted in altitude, according to a global study published in
Nature
Ecology & Evolution.
Lead author Dr Shawan Chowdhury, head of Monash University’s Global Change
Ecology Lab, said the study, which analysed shifts in 1,758 species across 105
countries, revealed the “astonishing” scale of change, largely driven by
climate change and extreme weather.
“Butterflies are early‑warning indicators and are signalling a warning across
the entire planet. If their ranges shift this dramatically, it signals profound
changes across ecosystems,” he said.
About 80% of butterflies that shifted expanded their ranges, often moving into
newly suitable areas as temperatures rise.
Some moved surprisingly fast, he said. The tawny coster butterfly – originally
native to India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka – entered Australia in 2012 and has
moved at a rate of 135km per year since. An expanding range wasn’t necessarily
good news, he said, particularly if the insect was moving into less suitable
habitat and populations were low.
woodlouse, cicada, jellyfish and sea slug on sky blue background
About 27% of species – including
Cupido minimus, the United Kingdom’s
smallest butterfly – saw their ranges shrink, disappearing from areas they used
to occupy. Others moved altitude, shifting to higher or lower elevations.
Range expansions occurred across all continents, particularly in the tropics,
while contractions were mainly in Europe and North America, the paper said.
Shifts in elevation were almost exclusively in the northern hemisphere.
Climate change and severe weather were the main drivers, although other factors
played a role, such as habitat loss and agriculture. In Germany, a species
known as the cranberry fritillary (
Boloria aquilonaris) has lost much of its
original habitat due to bog drainage. In Romania, agricultural intensification
drove a contraction for the Danube clouded yellow butterfly (
Colias
myrmidone). In Brazil, the blue butterfly
Godartiana byses has expanded from
the states of Rio de Janeiro and Bahia to São Paulo in response to climate
warming."
Via Susan ****
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
