At the Attica Zoological Park outside Athens, Greece, butterflies thrive in a controlled environment, feeding on orange slices. This safe haven protects them from the growing threat of climate change, which is impacting butterfly populations across Greece and the world.
Greece boasts a diverse population of 237 butterfly species, but rising temperatures are creating increasingly challenging living conditions. Anony Balis, a staff member at the zoo, notes that climate change significantly impacts the butterflies’ lifespan and reproduction. As temperatures fluctuate in their natural habitats, their lifespan decreases.
Warmer temperatures disrupt the delicate balance of the butterflies’ ecosystem. Food sources are becoming scarcer as flowering periods shorten, leaving less time for butterflies to feed. Experts also suspect that these environmental pressures may be causing butterflies to shrink in size.
Agronomist Constantinos Anagnostellis is part of a research project called “Meiosis” at the University of Ioannina. The project focuses on modeling the decrease in butterfly body size as a response to climate change. Anagnostellis explains that as ectothermic organisms, butterflies rely on external temperatures for essential activities like mating, reproduction, growth, development, and feeding. Rising temperatures disrupt these delicate processes.
Furthermore, the heat forces butterflies to seek cooler areas, often at higher altitudes. Unfortunately, these areas often lack sufficient food sources. Adding to the problem, increasingly frequent and severe wildfires further restrict their access to food by destroying vital grasslands.
The issue extends far beyond Greece. Countries like Mexico and Britain are also reporting sharp declines in certain butterfly species due to similar environmental pressures. The global decline in butterfly populations highlights the urgent need to address climate change and protect these delicate creatures and their habitats.
