A study published today finds that drought is threatening some species of British butterflies with extinction as the insects disappear in drier and warmer regions.
They are completely extinct in the warmer southern and eastern parts
The new research has been published by the Butterfly Conservation and Northumbria University Charities National Moth Recording System for Butterfly Conservation Analysis of data collected by volunteers over 40 years. The cold-adapted butterflies that thrived in many habitats across Britain have now retreated to the cooler northwest, while Some species became completely extinct in the warmer and drier southern and eastern parts.
As noted by experts, the number of butterfly species that are most adapted to coldness has decreased dramatically in recent decades.
One insect that suffers is the bear moth (Arctia caja), whose numbers declined by 89% between 1968 and 2002. The caterpillars have adapted to survive the long, cold winter.Scientists said these so-called local extinctions occurred in warmer parts of Britain, but the risk to butterflies also decreased dramatically as annual rainfall was also high. Although more research is needed on why this happens, the researchers say it may be because the plants that the butterfly caterpillars feed on survive better when there is more rain.
Drought broke a record
Conservationists advocate prioritizing landscape water supplies as a response to climate change, for example by reducing overgrazing by livestock, increasing afforestation, slowing rivers, and restoring peatlands. All of these activities will conserve water, which will also benefit butterflies and other wildlife.
Cold-adapted species, such as the British butterflies in our study, are likely to be the first to struggle with a warming climate. said Dr. Lisbeth Hordley, a postdoctoral researcher at Butterfly Conservation and lead author of the study Watchman online portal. Unfortunately, with the worsening of climate change, high temperature conditions will prevail in more and more areas, which will push these butterflies to the brink of extinction, so land use transformation with the aim of increasing water retention is even more important in order to protect these species.
As the climate continues to change, the UK is becoming more vulnerable to drought; Last year’s dry weather led to a record low in rivers, which will continue to take its toll this year.
Thanks to the efforts of thousands of volunteer butterfly watchers over the past 40 years, we now know that there is a strong link between warming and the decline of many species that live in cooler parts of Britain. – Dr. Richard Fox, scientific director of Butterfly Conservation and co-author of the research, noted. “While this is very bad news for insects, the data collected by citizen scientists has also shown how we can increase the resilience of these species while also benefiting people by retaining more water in river catchments.”
Added: Butterfly protection projects of the organization such as Spore squad (which feeds moisture to damaged peat bogs in Scotland) does have these benefits, but more is needed to protect wildlife and people as the climate crisis worsens.
