Why are butterflies declining?
Scientists are scrambling to find the answer before it’s too late
The Poweshiek skipperling, a small, inconspicuous orange butterfly that once thrived throughout the extensive prairies of the Midwest, has disappeared from most areas where it used to occur.
The Poweshiek (pronounced POW-uh-SHEEK) is not the only butterfly in trouble. Studies have shown that many species are declining throughout the U.S., as are insects in general.
This decline, sometimes referred to as the “insect apocalypse,” is alarming scientists. Fewer insects can have potentially far-reaching consequences for people because of the many ecosystem services they perform, including pollinating crops and serving as food for other animals.
Butterflies are also the canary in the coal mine, alerting us to potential dangers in the environment that could impact human health.
Several factors are suspected to cause the declines – chief among them habitat loss, pesticides and climate change – and it is likely that a combination of them is driving the losses.
Untangling the reasons for the die-offs is difficult, however. Often basic baseline data about which plants or environmental conditions some butterflies need to survive is missing. Researchers are trying to put the pieces together as species are disappearing.
But all is not lost yet. While the declines are concerning, glimmers of hope are emerging as scientists, conservationists and everyday people work together to save one tiny prairie butterfly from extinction.
The three articles in this series tell the story of researchers trying to find the reasons for the widespread butterfly declines, and of the Poweshiek skipperling and a township rallying behind it to save it from the brink of extinction.
The project also dives into the science, searching out the studies that are starting to shed light on the mystery of why so many butterflies are disappearing around the U.S. and the world.
