American butterflies vanish: A crisis in biodiversity

In the U.S., no other insects are as thoroughly studied as butterflies. The latest findings, published in Science, reveal that American butterflies are disappearing rapidly due to factors such as climate change, habitat loss, and competition from stronger insects. Over the past 25 years, the butterfly population has decreased by as much as 22%.

The largest declines in butterfly numbers have been recorded in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, where the population has more than halved since 2000. "And we don't see any sign that that's going to end," said Nick Haddad, an entomologist at Michigan State University and co-author of the study published in the scientific journal.

Across the country, as many as 114 species are experiencing a drastic decline in numbers, while the population of only nine species of these beautiful insects is increasing. For example, in 1997, there were 1.2 million monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) in the U.S., and now there are fewer than 10,000. This species may soon be added to the endangered list.

David Wagner from the University of Connecticut notes that while the annual population decline may seem small, in the long term, it is catastrophic.

Eliza Grames, an assistant professor of biological sciences at Binghamton University, emphasizes that butterflies are not only "an ambassador for nature's beauty" or a source of inspiration for artists and photographers, but are above all an important element of the ecosystem, crucial to humans as well. Butterflies play a significant role in assisting in the pollination of plants, which are key to food production. They also contribute to maintaining the balance of ecosystems around the world.

Researchers can now draw conclusions from the latest studies and work towards reducing the decline in butterfly populations.