by Phillip Torres
Our thanks to the editors of the Britannica Book of the Year (BBOY) and author Phillip Torres—a Cornell University graduate whose studies focus on insects, evolution, conservation, and diversity—for permission to present this BBOY-commissioned special report on declining butterfly populations. It is also published online on the main Encyclopædia Britannica Web site and in the forthcoming 2014 print BBOY.
By 2013 it was believed that one in five of the millions of invertebrate species on Earth was at risk of extinction, but probably some of the most cherished species of all—butterflies—showed signs of a significant decline in population if not outright disappearance. Whereas slugs, mites, flies, or squid might not garner the due attention of the public, butterflies are emblematic, and they can serve as flagship species for a world at risk of losing much of its biodiversity.
Most important, scientists in recent decades have successfully used butterflies as tools for conservation research and public education. The popularity of butterflies makes them useful motivators to get citizen scientists—nonexperts who dedicate time to science projects that would otherwise lack the manpower—involved in preservation efforts. Programs in the U.K. and the U.S. have thousands of volunteers, who provide data critical to analyzing populations of hundreds of species. Beyond public involvement, these programs provide crucial lessons that help convey how humans are negatively affecting the wilderness around them.
In June 2013 two butterflies known only from South Florida were officially declared likely to be extinct. Extensive searches conducted for over a decade indicated that the Zestos skipper (Epargyreus zestos oberon) and the rockland grass skipper (Hesperia meskei pinocayo) had disappeared. There had been only four known extinct butterflies native to the U.S., and the last one to be cited for extinction was cited 50 years earlier. The loss of two species from one area represented a 50% increase in extinctions for the entire country and raised an alarm.
South Florida, symbolic of many at-risk areas of the world, hosts multiple endangered butterfly species. The area boasts unique ecosystems—hammocks, islands, and river drainages—within small areas. These ecosystems contain endemic species—species that are found only in a particular region—a factor that can make them more vulnerable to extinction. Although human development in Florida has largely destroyed the habitat of some species, others have had their habitats fragmented. To thrive, many organisms require one large area rather than several smaller separate regions. Thus, human development and the resultant habitat fragmentation can be sufficient to cause the extinction of a species. Whereas residential and commercial development in Florida has been responsible for fragmenting habitats there, other regions of the world might experience similar fragmentation from activities such as agriculture and mining.
Invasive species and pesticides
Florida’s butterfly species are not at risk only from habitat destruction. The threats of invasive species and poorly managed pesticide use can be sufficient to eliminate a species from an area, even without overt habitat destruction. Florida harbors several severe human diseases of which mosquitoes are a vector, and pesticide use for mosquito control previously demonstrated a negative effect on butterfly populations. It is vital to closely monitor the use of pesticides. Invasive species too have become an increasing problem. Wildlife managers are worried that nonnative fire ants might eat butterfly eggs and caterpillars and that the African snail might destroy host-plant vegetation. The combination of these factors with the pressures of human development is not unique to Florida, however; it can be sufficient to push a butterfly species into extinction in other parts of the world as well.
Global climate change
As has been well documented, the effects of future global warming are not always warmer temperatures: climates can become colder, wetter, or drier for various regions, all factors that can affect plants and animals in ways that are difficult to predict. This global climate change is just that—change—from the natural state of global ecosystems. Some species, such as arctic land mammals, could appear to benefit from predictions that their range might be extended. Such extensions would not be natural, however, and it is hard to predict the ways in which these animals might affect the ecosystems into which they would be encroaching.
Using years of butterfly survey data and global climate change models, scientists have created predictions of warmer climate’s impact on butterfly populations in the U.K. These studies suggest that the populations of more than half the butterfly species in the U.K. are expected to expand in range, a circumstance that typically translates to a higher, more diverse population and a lower risk of extinction. Though this range shift might appear to be good news for butterflies, it comes with a dark side. It is unclear how these populations of butterflies would influence the other species in the areas into which they expanded, and it could bring a range extension for any parasites or viruses that could accompany the butterflies. What happens in the U.K., however, does not happen to all butterflies. Also, not all butterflies in the world have ranges that could extend or shift well in warmer weather, as many species of butterflies have adapted for cooler high-altitude climates found in mountain ranges.
With global climate change, extreme weather is expected to occur more frequently. For example, in 2012 in the U.K. (which experienced its wettest summer in 100 years), enormous population losses occurred for two species. The numbers of the high brown fritillary (Argynnis adippe) reportedly fell 46%, and the black hairstreak (Satyrium pruni) dropped an astounding 98%.
High-altitude species of butterflies are facing considerable threats owing to a warming climate. Their ranges are restricted to certain zones on mountains, where climate, oxygen levels, host plants, community composition, and other factors contribute to the unique ecosystem in which they thrive. Temperature increases have caused some butterfly populations to shift upward in elevation to tolerate changing temperature; these areas might not be optimal for their survival, however, considering the multitude of factors involved. Some regions of the Sierra de Guadarrama, in central Spain, for example, suffered a 90% decline in species richness in butterfly communities.
The monarch butterfly is considered the most recognized backyard butterfly in North America, and it is known for its annual migrations of more than 3,219 km (2,000 mi) over several generations. Most of the monarchs of North America east of the Rocky Mountains migrate south to overwinter in a small pine forest area in Mexico known as the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. The closely monitored numbers found at that site provide an indication of the health of the North American monarch butterfly population. The winter of 2012–13 showed a worrisome 59% decrease in monarch populations from the previous year; it was the lowest count recorded in at least two decades.
For years monarch butterfly conservation efforts were concentrated on preserving the overwintering site in Mexico, but the focus has gradually turned northward. The loss of milkweed habitat—milkweed being the primary host plant upon which monarch caterpillars feed—has been attributed to an increase in the use of Roundup in agriculture. The herbicide can be liberally applied to genetically modified (GM) crops without risk to them, but species such as milkweed (normally found in fields) have been suffering, and monarchs might be paying the price for the decimation of the plants.
Butterfly numbers continue to decline in many areas of the world owing to human activities. The impact from anthropogenic habitat destruction and pollution can be obvious. Alternatively, the impact can be cloudy and difficult to assess owing to limited resources, including the number of researchers available to interpret the data. Alarmingly, current trends pertaining to human development, agriculture, and pollution have caused several butterfly species to go extinct and have placed many others under considerable ecological pressure.