Declining Butterfly Population

A recent study published in the journal Science provides the most comprehensive analysis of the current state of the U.S. butterfly population. The research team combined data from 35 citizen-scientist programs across the continental U.S. that counted butterflies. Their analysis was based on 12.6 million individual butterfly sightings.

The findings reveal a concerning decline of 22 percent of our 554 butterfly species over the past two decades, affecting almost every region of the country.  For every species found to have increased in population, there were 13 species that declined in population, and some of those declines were significant. While tackling climate change and regulating pesticides are crucial policy interventions, people can actively contribute to reversing these declines by creating habitat refuges for butterflies and other insects. This can be achieved by planting native flowers, shrubs and trees.