Extensive climate-induced range shifts in butterflies across the globe

Shawan Chowdhury , Upama Aich, Laura Antão, Stefan Pinkert, Perpetra Akite, Gilberto SS Almeira, Tatsuya Amano, Andras Ambrus, Jade A.T. Badon, Seung-Yun Baek, Maksims Balalaikins, Michal Barták, Vijay Barve, Michał Bełcik, Timothy C Bonebrake, Simona Bonelli, Diana E. Bowler, Michael F Braby, Roger Cartig, Sei-Woong Choi, Wen-Chen Chu, Eloisa Clain, Steve Collins, Johnattan H Cumplido, Leonardo Dapporto, Gideon Deme Gywa, Matthias Dolek, Aleksandra Dolezal, Fahmi I Firdaus, Markus Franzén, André VL Freitas, Richard Fuller, Luisa Gensch, Eliza M. Grames, Elia Guariento, Bryan Haywood, Shiran Hershcovich, Kerstin Jantke, Eddie John, Henrik kalivoda, Azadeh Karimi, Ryosuke Katayose, Akito Kawahara, Sujan Khanal, Krushnamegh Kunte, Lionel L'Hoste, Magdalena Lenda, Jorge L León-Cortés, Dali Lin, Yuet Fung Ling, Maria Lucia Lorini, Dirk Maes, Dino Martins, Thomas Merckx, Xavier Mestdagh, Yeray Monasterio, Akihiro Nakamura, Rachel Rui Ying Oh, Lars B Pettersson, Jeffrey S Pippen, Clara Pladevall, Ingrid Pollet, Patrice Pottier , Muhammad Ather Rafi, Danielle L Ramos, Tharindu Ranasinghe, Fanie Rautenbach, Martin Reith, Abubakar S Ringim, Federico Riva, David Roy, Nils Ryrholm, Marjo Saastamoinen, Josef Settele, William Sidemo-Holm, Piotr Skorka, Nigel Stork, Sanej P Suwal, Giedrius Švitra, Ann B Swengel, Scott R Swengel, Nicolas Titeux, Robert Tropek, Olga Tzortzakaki, Chris van Swaay, Rudi Verovnik, Jerome L Wiedmann, Martin Wiemers, Masaya Yago, Hossein Yazdandad, Oz B Yehuda, Konstantina Zografou, Aletta Bonn, Guy Pe'er, Jonathan Lenoir 

Ongoing global change is leading to widespread species redistribution1,2. Range shift attribution, however, remains poorly resolved, partly due to the strong variation in range shift detection signals in space, over time and across the tree of life2. We compiled range shift data in 15 languages and with expert assessments, encompassing 1,758 butterfly species from 109 countries (~10% of the known diversity)—a flagship for invertebrate conservation and a charismatic group used as a sentinel of global climate change3. Approximately 81% of species expanded their ranges horizontally primarily due to climate change and severe weather. This effect was most prominent in tropical regions, which have largely been neglected in previous studies. A significant proportion of species either contracted their ranges (27% of species) or shifted altitudinally (22% of species). Based on these clear and widespread signatures of global range shifts and their underlying drivers, we call for concerted efforts to include butterflies and other invertebrates in nature and species conservation assessments and national conservation policies. These sweeping strategies should also advocate for increased surveillance and long-term population monitoring of key invertebrate groups globally, which will especially inform and strengthen conservation policy in Tropical countries4.