Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe

S Chowdhury; U Aich; LH Antão; S Pinkert; P Akite; GSS Almeida; T Amano; A Ambrus; JAT Badon; SY Baek; M Balalaikins; M Barták; V Barve; M Bełcik; TC Bonebrake; S Bonelli; DE Bowler; MF Braby; R Caritg; SW Choi; WC Chu; E Clain; S Collins; JH Cumplido; L Dapporto; GG Deme; M Dolek; A Dolezal; FI Firdaus; M Franzén; AVL Freitas; RA Fuller; L Gensch; E Grames; Elia Guariento; B Haywood; S Hershcovich; K Jantke; E John; H Kalivoda; A Karimi; R Katayose; AY Kawahara; S Khanal; K Kunte; L L’Hoste; M Lenda; JL León-Cortés; DL Lin; YF Ling; ML Lorini; D Maes; D Martins; T Merckx; X Mestdagh; Y Monasterio; A Nakamura; RRY Oh; LB Pettersson; JS Pippen; C Pladevall; IL Pollet; P Pottier; MA Rafi; DL Ramos; T Ranasinghe; F Rautenbach; M Reith; AS Ringim; F Riva; DB Roy; N Ryrholm; M Saastamoinen; J Settele; W Sidemo-Holm; P Skorka; NE Stork; SP Suwal; G Švitra; AB Swengel; SR Swengel; N Titeux; R Tropek; O Tzortzakaki; C van Swaay; R Verovnik; JL Wiedmann; M Wiemers; M Yago; H Yazdandad; OB Yehuda; K Zografou; A Bonn; G Pe’er; J Lenoir

doi:10.1038/s41559-026-03117-y

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Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe

Journal article

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Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe

S Chowdhury, U Aich, LH Antão, S Pinkert, P Akite, GSS Almeida, T Amano, A Ambrus, JAT Badon, SY Baek, …

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Vol.10, pp.1900-1913

05/08/2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-026-03117-y

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/10863/54204

Abstract

Global changes are leading to widespread species redistribution. Comprehensive assessments of range shift dynamics and their drivers are difficult, partly due to the variation in range shift detection over space and taxa. Here we compile documented range shift records for 1,758 butterfly species from 105 countries and territories, representing ~10% of the known diversity of these insects. Most species (80%) experienced range expansions, and most range shifts (79%) were associated with climate change and extreme weather events. A substantial proportion of species in our dataset contracted their ranges (27%) or shifted along elevational gradients (22%). We report widespread horizontal range expansions and contractions across tropical countries, with less evidence for elevational range shifts. We show that a clearer picture of range shift dynamics emerged only through the combination of different types of data, with expert assessments and non-English studies alleviating potential biases. Our findings of climate-driven range shifts call for concerted efforts to improve inclusive data monitoring and conservation efforts, especially for tropical countries, where human-induced land-use changes exert additional critical pressure.

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Details

Title: Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe
Creators: S Chowdhury - Monash University
U Aich - The University of Western Australia
LH Antão - University of Helsinki
S Pinkert - Philipps University of Marburg
P Akite - Makerere University
GSS Almeida
T Amano - The University of Queensland
A Ambrus
JAT Badon
SY Baek - Institute of Global Innovation Research (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology)
M Balalaikins - Daugavpils University
M Barták - University of Helsinki
V Barve - Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
M Bełcik - Institute of Nature Conservation
TC Bonebrake - University of Hong Kong
S Bonelli - University of Turin
DE Bowler - UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
MF Braby - Australian National University
R Caritg - Andorra Recerca + Innovació
SW Choi - Mokpo National University
WC Chu
E Clain - Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
S Collins
JH Cumplido
L Dapporto - University of Florence
GG Deme - University of Turku
M Dolek
A Dolezal - University of Guelph
FI Firdaus - Bandung Institute of Technology
M Franzén - Linköping University
AVL Freitas
RA Fuller - The University of Queensland
L Gensch - Universität Hamburg
E Grames - Binghamton University
Elia Guariento - Eurac Research
B Haywood
S Hershcovich
K Jantke - Universität Hamburg
E John
H Kalivoda - Slovak Academy of Sciences
A Karimi - Ferdowsi University of Mashhad
R Katayose - National Institute for Environmental Studies
AY Kawahara - Florida Museum of Natural History
S Khanal
K Kunte - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research
L L’Hoste - Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
M Lenda - Institute of Nature Conservation
JL León-Cortés - El Colegio de la Frontera Sur
DL Lin - National Taiwan University
YF Ling - University of Hong Kong
ML Lorini - Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
D Maes - Radboud University Nijmegen
D Martins - Mpala Research Center and Wildlife Foundation
T Merckx - Vrije Universiteit Brussel
X Mestdagh - Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
Y Monasterio
A Nakamura - Chinese Academy of Sciences
RRY Oh
LB Pettersson - Lund University
JS Pippen - Georgetown University
C Pladevall - Andorra Recerca + Innovació
IL Pollet - Acadia University
P Pottier - Australian National University
MA Rafi
DL Ramos - University of Exeter
T Ranasinghe - Mauritian Wildlife Foundation
F Rautenbach - Cape Peninsula University of Technology
M Reith
AS Ringim - Federal University Dutse
F Riva - Carleton University
DB Roy - University of Exeter
N Ryrholm - University of Gävle
M Saastamoinen - University of Helsinki
J Settele - University of the Philippines Los Baños
W Sidemo-Holm - Lund University
P Skorka - Institute of Nature Conservation
NE Stork - Griffith University
SP Suwal - Institute of Zoology
G Švitra
AB Swengel
SR Swengel
N Titeux - Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology
R Tropek - Czech Academy of Sciences
O Tzortzakaki - University of Ioannina
C van Swaay - Dutch Butterfly Conservation
R Verovnik - University of Ljubljana
JL Wiedmann
M Wiemers - Senckenberg - Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research
M Yago - The University of Tokyo
H Yazdandad - Tarbiat Modares University
OB Yehuda
K Zografou - University of Ljubljana
A Bonn - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
G Pe’er - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
J Lenoir - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Publication Details: Nature Ecology & Evolution, Vol.10, pp.1900-1913
EISSN: 2397-334X
Series / Volume: 10
Publisher: Nature Research
Number of pages: 22
Identifiers: (EURAC)32195993
991007449470501241
Copyright: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
Academic Unit: Institute for Alpine Environment
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article
Description coverage: none
Description audience: Scientific
Local Fields: Scientific
Author Names String: Chowdhury S, Aich U, Antão LH, Pinkert S, Akite P, Almeida GSS, Amano T, Ambrus A, Badon JAT, Baek SY, Balalaikins M, Barták M, Barve V, Bełcik M, Bonebrake TC, Bonelli S, Bowler DE, Braby MF, Caritg R, Choi SW, Chu WC, Clain E, Collins S, Cumplido JH, Dapporto L, Deme GG, Dolek M, Dolezal A, Firdaus FI, Franzén M, Freitas AVL, Fuller RA, Gensch L, Grames E, Guariento E, Haywood B, Hershcovich S, Jantke K, John E, Kalivoda H, Karimi A, Katayose R, Kawahara AY, Khanal S, Kunte K, L’Hoste L, Lenda M, León-Cortés JL, Lin DL, Ling YF, Lorini ML, Maes D, Martins D, Merckx T, Mestdagh X, Monasterio Y, Nakamura A, Oh RRY, Pettersson LB, Pippen JS, Pladevall C, Pollet IL, Pottier P, Rafi MA, Ramos DL, Ranasinghe T, Rautenbach F, Reith M, Ringim AS, Riva F, Roy DB, Ryrholm N, Saastamoinen M, Settele J, Sidemo-Holm W, Skorka P, Stork NE, Suwal SP, Švitra G, Swengel AB, Swengel SR, Titeux N, Tropek R, Tzortzakaki O, van Swaay C, Verovnik R, Wiedmann JL, Wiemers M, Yago M, Yazdandad H, Yehuda OB, Zografou K, Bonn A, Pe’er G, Lenoir J

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