Why More Than 1% of This Insect Species Disappears Each Year

Our world is changing with each passing minute. While humans may not recognize infinitesimal shifts in our environments, smaller creatures often do. These alterations can cause drastic harm to certain species, especially insects.

Butterfly populations are disappearing across the United States. Why is this happening, and is it reversible? Discover the state of butterfly species in the U.S. and learn what you can do to save them.

Butterfly Populations in the U.S.: Over 1% Lost Every Year

On average, butterfly populations across multiple species and regions are declining. In the United States alone, an estimated 1% of the entire butterfly population is lost every single year. Research suggests a huge disappearance in butterflies over the past two decades, with 13 times as many species experiencing loss rather than growth.

Species-specific intervention is necessary to save certain butterflies from extinction. While some populations are merely threatened or just beginning to decline, other species aren’t so lucky. The monarch butterfly is one such example. Multiple threats and adverse changes to monarch butterfly habitats have altered this migrator, potentially beyond repair.

Questions remain for scientists hoping to save butterflies of all species. Why are these vital pollinators losing their populations at an alarming rate? Which species are most vulnerable? And, the most important question is, what can be done to save them?

Why Are Butterfly Populations Declining?

Butterfly populations are declining around the world for multiple reasons. These are the primary culprits science has discovered so far.

Loss of Habitat and Human Development

Human industry is a powerful thing, but it can also be a dangerous one. As we expand and grow, we naturally take habitats from creatures who need it most. Butterflies experience habitat loss alongside countless other wild animals. While development is humanity’s natural progression, we are developing without a second thought for insects, eliminating the places they once called home.

Insecticides and Pesticides

Regardless of their helpful qualities, agricultural insecticides and pesticides remain indiscriminate killers. Butterflies and other pollinators suffer when chemical-based products are used in their environments. As commercial agricultural areas expand, butterflies face dangerous odds, especially when their instincts are to pollinate chemical-covered crops.

Climate Change

The harmful nature of climate change affects us all, but especially the earth’s smallest and most vulnerable creatures. Multiple studies cite climate change as a reason why butterflies and other pollinators are disappearing. Between rising temperatures and inconsistent weather patterns, butterflies can’t as readily reside in their native regions.

Where in the U.S. Are Butterflies Disappearing Most of All?

Many studies cite abnormally high levels of butterfly disappearances in the southwest. States experiencing rising temperatures, particularly Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas, cannot sustain their local butterfly populations. While colder temperatures are also on the rise, butterflies can more readily survive in northern states compared to southern ones.

This is unfortunate news, as warmer states provide a wealth of agricultural resources. Many crops and large-scale agricultural productions are affected by declines in butterfly populations. While bees remain a vital pollinator in our world, butterflies pollinate crops too. For example, the cotton industry in Texas relies on butterfly pollinators more than any other type of insect.

Species of Butterflies Most At Risk

Many butterfly species face such severe losses in their populations that interventions must occur in order to save them. While some of these butterflies were rare to begin with, others have suffered so much decline that their once-plentiful populations face uncertain futures.

These butterfly species are considered the most likely to become endangered or extinct in the coming decades:

• Large marble butterfly
• Arogos Skipper
• Monarch butterfly
• Bog Elfin
• Carson Wandering Skipper
• Desert Green Hairstreak
• El Segundo Blue

How to Help Save Butterflies in Your Region

Assisting butterflies in the U.S. and beyond requires a combined effort of large-scale change and individual attention. While the big-picture issues can’t be tackled by only one person, there are still things you can do to help butterflies flourish in your local area.

• Avoid using pesticides on your property. No matter how little you use, insecticides and pesticides affect all insects. Maintaining a natural, chemical-free garden and landscaping routine will promote the well-being of butterflies and other helpful bugs.
• Plant pollinator-friendly flowers and shrubs. Utilizing native and pollinator-preferred plants in your backyard or outdoor areas demonstrates to butterflies that your property is a safe space. The right habitat provides butterflies with protection, food, and ideal breeding grounds.
• Ensure access to water and sunlight. Butterflies need the warmth of the sun to thrive as well as minimal access to hydration. Providing a birdbath or freshly watered plants frequently will help them survive. Plus, a garden with plenty of sunshine helps your plants thrive, too!
• Encourage pollinator populations in your community. Sometimes, outreach is one of the best routes you can take to make a true impact. Informing your neighbors, city council, and local community about the importance of butterflies and other pollinators can broaden understanding, leading to positive results.

Only time will tell what might happen to butterfly populations around the world. By doing our part and emphasizing the importance of these creatures, butterflies may face a more stable and hopeful future.