(Adnkronos) – Butterflies are ‘disappearing’ in the United States. And at an alarming rate. They are more than a fifth less than 20 years ago, reveals a new study published in Science. Saving them is an urgent matter. The numbers speak for themselves: -22% between 2000 and 2020.
The study analyzes data collected on 12.6 million butterfly sightings from over 76,000 surveys for 35 monitoring programs. With the help of statistical models, the ‘behavior’ of 342 species was studied. And the results of the ‘maxi census’ are worrying: for 33% there is talk of a significant decline in specimens in the last twenty years, particularly serious for 107 of the 342 species that have lost more than half of the ‘population’. And among the latter there are 22 with losses of more than 90%, underline the American media that relaunch the study. Only 3% of the species ‘thrive’ and grow.
All because of pesticides, climate change, habitat destruction. The ‘disappearance’ of butterflies is particularly evident in the southwestern United States. But the researchers do not lose hope. They insist on measures to be taken urgently. “Butterflies can ‘recover’ quickly” because they have “short” development cycles, observed Eliza Grames of Binghamton University, quoted by the BBC, co-author of the study led by Collin B. Edwards of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. And she suggested “small actions”, such as planting wildflowers, reducing pesticide use or avoiding mowing part of the lawn.
