A new study reveals that America's butterfly population is in decline, dropping 22% since 2000 due to climate change, insecticides, and loss of habitat. The study analyzed 76,957 surveys, observing an average annual decline of 1.3% across 114 species, with only nine species showing growth. Monarch butterflies are particularly affected; a recent survey recorded fewer than 10,000, down from 1.2 million in 1997. Researchers emphasize the growing crisis, with experts suggesting a potential loss of half the butterfly population in just a few decades, signifying a serious ecological concern.
"Butterflies have been declining the last 20 years," said study co-author Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University. "And we don't see any sign that that's going to end."
David Wagner, a University of Connecticut entomologist, highlights that while the annual rate of decline may not sound significant, it is "catastrophic and saddening" when compounded over time.
In just 30 or 40 years we are talking about losing half the butterflies (and other insect life) over a continent!" Wagner said, emphasizing the extensive loss.
The United States has 650 butterfly species, but 96 species were so sparse they didn't show up in the data, emphasizing the alarming rate of decline.
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