America’s Butterflies Are Disappearing At An Alarming Rate
A new study has found that America’s butterfly population is dwindling at a “catastrophic” rate due to climate change, habitat loss, and insecticides. Some populations have decreased by 22% since 2000.
This study marks the first nationwide systematic analysis of butterfly population densities. They found that throughout the lower 48 states, butterfly populations have been declining at a rate of 1.3% annually since the year 2000. 114 species have reflected significant declines with only 9 species increasing. The study itself was published in the journal Science.
“Butterflies have been declining the last 20 years, and we don’t see any sign that that’s going to end,” said study co-author Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University, to the Associated Press.
AP reported that the study collected its data utilizing over 76,000 surveys from 35 monitoring programs around the country and “blended” the information to count over 12 million butterflies over the past 25 years.
Entomologist David Wagner, who wasn’t involved in the study, praised it for offering valuable information to America’s butterfly populations, but emphasized that the data was concerning, calling it “catastrophic and saddening.”
“In just 30 or 40 years we are talking about losing half the butterflies (and other insect life) over a continent! The tree of life is being denuded at unprecedented rates.”
“The United States has 650 butterfly species, but 96 species were so sparse they didn’t show up in the data and another 212 species were not found in sufficient numbers to calculate trends,” said study lead author Collin Edwards, an ecologist and data scientist at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
“I’m probably most worried about the species that couldn’t even be included in the analyses because they were so rare,” said entomologist Karen Oberhauser.
This data is also so concerning for experts because it offers insights into the future of humans and our environment.
“The loss of butterflies, parrots and porpoises is undoubtedly a bad sign for us, the ecosystems we need and the nature we enjoy,” said butterfly expert Anurag Agrawal.
“They are telling us that our continent’s health is not doing so well … Butterflies are an ambassador for nature’s beauty, fragility and the interdependence of species. They have something to teach us.”
“What’s happening to butterflies in the United States is probably happening to other, less-studied insects across the continent and world,” Wagner said.
“Butterflies are also pollinators, though not as prominent as bees, and are a major source of pollination of the Texas cotton crop,” Haddad said.
Eric Mastrota is a Contributing Editor at The National Digest based in New York. A graduate of SUNY New Paltz, he reports on world news, culture, and lifestyle. You can reach him at eric.mastrota@thenationaldigest.com.
