Climate Change Is Reshaping Butterfly Ranges Worldwide, Study Finds

Butterflies are changing where they live as a warming climate reshapes the conditions they depend on, with some species spreading into new territories while others are disappearing from parts of their former ranges. A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution examined records for 1,758 butterfly species across 105 countries, covering nearly 10% of known butterfly diversity, and found that about 80% of the species showing range changes had expanded their ranges. At the same time, nearly 27% experienced range contractions, while about 22% shifted along elevation gradients, indicating that climate change is producing markedly different outcomes even within the same insect group.

Butterflies are moving to keep pace with a changing climate

The study found that nearly 79% of the documented species showed shifts towards cooler regions associated with climate change and severe weather. Climate change and extreme weather were linked to horizontal range expansions in 163 species, horizontal contractions in 131 species and elevation shifts in 61 species. Range expansions were recorded across all continents, with particularly high numbers in tropical regions such as Brazil and Benin, while contractions were more commonly reported in Europe and North America.

Europe emerged as a major hotspot for butterfly range changes. Countries including Sweden, Finland, Spain, Luxembourg and the Czech Republic recorded shifts in more than half of their local butterfly fauna. Sweden stood out for both expansion and contraction, with horizontal expansions recorded for 61% of shifting species and contractions for 85%. The UK recorded the highest share of horizontal range contractions at 63%, while 18% of its shifting species showed elevation changes.

India’s Tawny Coster is spreading at 135 km a year

One of the clearest examples comes from the Tawny Coster (Acraea terpsicore), a butterfly native to the Indian subcontinent. The study highlights its rapid expansion across South Asia and into Australia, with its range in Australia expanding at an average rate of about 135 kilometres a year. Earlier research on the species found that its Australian expansion is among the fastest documented geographic range expansions, although the trigger for the sudden spread remains uncertain.

The scale of this movement is striking when compared with other butterfly range shifts. Between 1988 and 2011, the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) shifted upslope in Mexico by about 83 metres per year, while the Queen (Danaus gilippus) moved downslope by about 32 metres per year. Researchers say the Tawny Coster is an example of how some species can track suitable climatic conditions over large distances, a process associated with what ecologists call niche conservatism. 

Some butterflies are expanding while others are being squeezed out

Range expansion does not necessarily mean that a species is doing well. Researchers found that some butterflies are expanding into new areas while also losing habitat elsewhere. This creates a more complicated picture than a simple increase or decline in distribution. In some cases, species may move into areas where conditions are less suitable or where their populations remain small, leaving their long-term survival uncertain.

The study identified climate change and severe weather as major factors behind documented range shifts, while human disturbance and agriculture were also frequently associated with contractions. Researchers warned that major biodiversity regions including the Amazon Basin, Southeast Asia and Central Africa remain poorly represented in monitoring data, even though they contain much of the world’s biodiversity. They called for stronger global monitoring, particularly in tropical regions, and recommended conservation strategies that protect microrefugia, maintain habitat connections and allow conservation planning to adapt as species continue to move.

References:

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-026-03117-y

https://www.shankariasparliament.com/current-affairs/prelim-bits-6/expansion-of-butterfly-ranges

https://theconversation.com/butterflies-are-on-the-move-as-the-planet-warms-new-research-287368

Banner image: Photo by Daniel Klein on Unsplash 

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