Summary:
Butterflies are changing where they live on a scale that extends far beyond the regions scientists have traditionally monitored. A global analysis of 1,758 species documented range shifts across every continent where butterflies occur, with climate change and extreme weather associated with 79% of the recorded movements.
Researchers examined 6,182 records from 105 countries and territories. 80% of the species expanded their ranges, while 27% experienced contractions and 22% shifted along elevational gradients. These figures overlap because individual species can undergo more than one type of range change.
The geographic patterns varied between regions. Horizontal expansions were widespread and especially common in tropical countries, while contractions were recorded more often in temperate areas such as Europe and North America. Most documented elevational shifts occurred in the Northern Hemisphere.
Published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, the study combined English and non-English research with assessments from 68 butterfly experts. This approach provided a more complete global picture, but major data gaps remain across Central Africa, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and the Amazon Basin. The researchers call for broader and more inclusive monitoring to track how climate pressures and land-use change are affecting butterfly diversity.
— Press Release —
The scale of butterfly range shifts is far greater than previously known – affecting every continent
(This text is based on a press release by Monash University)
A global analysis of range-shift records for 1,758 butterfly species – 10 per cent of known butterfly species – found that 80 per cent had expanded their range and that 79 per cent of all recorded range shifts were linked to climate change and extreme weather events. The new study, published in Nature Ecology & Evolution, also reports range contractions for 27 per cent of species, and 22 per cent of species showed a change in elevation. Because many species exhibit multiple types of range shift, the percentages for expansions, contractions, and elevational changes is above 100%.
The study is the largest of its kind, analyzing 6,182 range‑shift records across 105 countries and drawing on English and non‑English scientific literature as well as 68 expert assessments. It was led by researchers from Monash University, the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, and the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ).
The analysis also reveals distinct global patterns in how butterfly ranges are shifting. Horizontal expansions were recorded on every continent, with particularly high numbers in tropical countries. Range contractions were seen more often in temperate regions, such as Europe and North America. Elevational shifts were almost exclusively in the Northern Hemisphere.
“We found butterfly species shifting their ranges on every continent where they occur”, says first author Dr Shawan Chowdhury, alumnus of iDiv, the University of Jena, and the UFZ, who now works at Monash University in Melbourne. “The scale is astonishing, and it’s happening far beyond the well‑studied regions of Europe and North America.”
Butterflies are early‑change indicators, Chowdhury adds, noting that “if their ranges are shifting this dramatically, it signals profound changes across ecosystems.”
Insufficient monitoring leaves many gaps
The study also makes clear that countries differ greatly in how well butterfly range shifts are being documented.
For example, in some European countries, like the Czech Republic, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, and Sweden, records exist for more than half of the countries’ butterfly species. In most other countries, however, range shifts have been documented for fewer than ten per cent of species, reflecting limited monitoring and absence of data.
By including non‑English studies and expert knowledge, the authors could generate a uniquely comprehensive global dataset. “Recording contributions from butterfly experts from society and efforts of natural history societies [was] hugely important to understand global butterfly biodiversity patterns,” says Dr Aletta Bonn, research group head at UFZ and iDiv, and a professor at the University of Jena.
Still, severe geographic data gaps persisted in Central Africa, Southeast Asia, New Guinea, and the Amazon Basin, all critically under‑represented despite being global biodiversity hotspots.
“The study helps balance the picture, but it also demonstrates an urgent need of consorted action to expand monitoring efforts globally,” explains senior author Dr Guy Pe’er of iDiv and UFZ. The authors emphasize that without equitable, standardized, and multilingual biodiversity monitoring, conservation efforts risk being guided by an incomplete evidence base.
Journal Reference:
Chowdhury, S., Aich, U., Antão, L.H. et al., ‘Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe’, Nature Ecology & Evolution (2026). DOI: 10.1038/s41559-026-03117-y
Article Source:
Press Release/Material by German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig (iDiv)
Featured image credit: Boris Smokrovic | Unsplash
