Based upon my experience (admittedly anecdotal and not scientific), the purported percentage decline in butterflies seems like an underestimate. It is heartbreaking.
It varies by region and Lepidoptera taxon, of course, but, yep, that's indeed the sense a lot of us have. Not only that, even though butterflies and moths are arguably our best-known and most-studied insects, we still have so much to learn about them. We're losing many before we can know them fully. Thanks, J.E.
I love butterflies - did not know of their dependance on violets, thanks for that. With birds and butterflies gone, our planet is surely loosing diversity and beauty. But your " a fate you might yet avert" is heartening. Thanks Bryan for an excellent read, as always.
Thanks, Arati. Yep, fritillaries in that genus (Argynnis, formerly Speyeria) use violets as host plants. Many of them, including Regal Frit, lay their eggs in vegetation near the violet (not on them), and the caterpillar find their way to the leafy food!
My neighbors and I have been talking about the reduction of pollinators this spring/summer and I'm not observing a small reduction but one on a grand scale. We left our pasture to grow wild this year, adding to the flowers specifically for beings on wing. I can walk through and hardly notice anything, but deer flies. It is disheartening.
It’s tricky to know with surety just what’s going on some days. A month ago, down in Oregon hundreds and hundreds of checkerspots on each little beach, it seemed. Never, ever seen so many in that place. Just a fluke good year? Who knows. But I walked a stretch yesterday where I would normally encounter at least a few dozen goldfinches this time of year, their fave thistles are blooming and there’s plenty of fluff for nests and seeds, and I did not see even one goldfinch. Haunting.
Never encountered this winged magician you describe, but absolutely loved your ardor in describing it and am most grateful once again for your masterful storytelling. Thank you, Bryan.
The best answer, if it can happen, is to educate children in the classroom and outdoors. Build the fascination and interest from a young age. When they grow up they may care for natural habitat. It’s just a small idea though, against big agriculture.
With all the disruption in schools now and what can and can not be taught it will be hard to get teachers to fro things. Here in Florida they are given what to teach and never to veer from it. They are basically teaching to the tests they use to promote kids to the next grade. Most of this is in elementary school and middle school. the high schools have more variety. But they are trying to rid us of AP classes and Dual enrolled which allows kids to earn college credits for certain classes they take. My granddaughter earned her first 2 years of college that way and graduated with a high school diploma and anas degree at the same time. Saved the parents a lot of money as they do not pay for the college credits.I see some butterflies here on the west coast of Florida and we have birds in our backyards in a residential area. We also have rabbits, turtles and bob cats.
Thank you , Bryan, for doing the hard work, and writing so eloquently about your findings. I know how dear butterflies are to your heart, to think , we took for granted in our youth, the magic of their flutter and artistic display. I do not ever remember thinking , what if…, someday…
This is the first year I haven't seen any Monarchs or black swallow tails visible my pollinators garden. I have several varieties of milkweed, parsly, Rue, bee balm, Echinacea and asters. Im seeing lots of bees but no butterflies.
I can't recall where you are, Kathleen -- but, yeah, abundance can really vary locally. I haven't been keeping careful track of things, but I think I've noticed a bit of traffic on the Monarch email discussion lists suggesting that numbers seem low this summer in portions of the U.S.
Thank you, Bryan, for yet another beautiful and heartbreaking essay – and for inserting that tiny glimmer of a silver lining ("A fate we might yet avert").
I've been thinking a lot in recent years about the irony of military landscapes offering sanctuary to endangered species, esp. the Iron Curtain, which gave refuge to over 1,200 rare and endangered species in Germany alone. From my initial take ("remove humans and the rest of nature will recover") I have come to see that beyond keeping humans (along with intensive agriculture, urban sprawl, roads etc) out by brutal means, that former border may well offer glimpses into older cultural landscapes, along with human land uses that promote biodiversity. If anyone here is interested in exploring this further with me, please get in touch! klangevt@gmail.com. Bryan, I hope it's okay to post a link/the URL to my essay in The Revelator below to give people an idea of what i am talking/thinking about. Thanks again for helping me think about all this with your writing!!
Love your writing, but I don't think that's an argument that many anthropologists make (that our attraction to open spaces is evolutionary)--that's really evolutionary psychology, a different kind of field and one that I don't think holds up very well.
I think attraction to various landscapes (open or otherwise) is mostly a modern, cultural, cultivated, historical desire, not an instinctive or evolutionary feeling.
Thanks, Timothy. I value your opinion, and I'll look more closely at this. If this is indeed a modern, cultural, cultivated, historical desire, what might be driving it?
A lot of inputs, from 19th Century romanticism to American Manifest Destiny to Russian literature before the Bolshevik Revolution, etc.; in some parts of the world, open fields or expansive spaces aren't necessarily the subject of deep cultural admiration or profound feelings. A lot of it I think comes from the European sense of land as scarce and highly inhabited and used; in societies where land scarcity is a result of later European narratives through colonialism, etc., maybe not so much of an idea.
Great stuff. Thanks again, Timothy. I'm rushing off into the field for a while -- so I haven't had time to poke around in the literature much. I am normally skeptical of these evolutionary holdovers. But I did find a line of published work in anthropology that does indeed support this evolutionary hypothesis. A hot topic, from what I can tell. Controversial -- with some refutation. I'm certainly inclined to the inputs and drivers you describe. So the African savannah hypothesis is perhaps one among many (I'm into multitudes). Sorry to rush. I'm heading for wetlands!
I'm a Hoosier by birth and have never seen this beauty! I have to agree with your description of the state: "corn, corn, soybeans, wheat, and livestock," but also with a strip mall or a lake every now and then.
What a beautiful butterfly! I hope it can be effectively conserved.
I've been surveying butterflies in a couple of sites in Edinburgh for the past two years and most species here are in decline. In fact there's been a steep decline in many types of insects here over the past few years. This year however, suddenly there are more 7 Spot Ladybirds (our commonest ladybug species) and more Syrphus (our most common hoverfly) than I've seen for years. So occasionally it does seem as though there might be some hope, though overall declines continue.
It is not uncommon to see a Gulf Fritillary here in NC. I have seen several in our yard during our time here. Our most common visitors this time of year are Eastern tiger swallowtails, painted ladies, red-spotted and purple admirals, and cabbage whites. Maybe a lone monarch or two. And once, a zebra swallowtail.
Oh Bryan, I'm so sorry you didn't see them! What you saw is what we are seeing here in St. Louis. We are doing our last Butterfly Count for the season at Shaw Nature Preserve this weekend. Our Last count on May 31st was very troubling. We had only 34 Species and 468 Individuals compared to last year when we had 48 species and 1, 051 individuals. That is a very dramatic drop in numbers. I'm seeing a dramatic drop in my yard and when I go on lone butterfly walks. It is heartbreaking. I don't want to live in a world without butterflies and birds. I fear that it's a little too late to turn the tides.
Based upon my experience (admittedly anecdotal and not scientific), the purported percentage decline in butterflies seems like an underestimate. It is heartbreaking.
It varies by region and Lepidoptera taxon, of course, but, yep, that's indeed the sense a lot of us have. Not only that, even though butterflies and moths are arguably our best-known and most-studied insects, we still have so much to learn about them. We're losing many before we can know them fully. Thanks, J.E.
I love butterflies - did not know of their dependance on violets, thanks for that. With birds and butterflies gone, our planet is surely loosing diversity and beauty. But your " a fate you might yet avert" is heartening. Thanks Bryan for an excellent read, as always.
Thanks, Arati. Yep, fritillaries in that genus (Argynnis, formerly Speyeria) use violets as host plants. Many of them, including Regal Frit, lay their eggs in vegetation near the violet (not on them), and the caterpillar find their way to the leafy food!
My neighbors and I have been talking about the reduction of pollinators this spring/summer and I'm not observing a small reduction but one on a grand scale. We left our pasture to grow wild this year, adding to the flowers specifically for beings on wing. I can walk through and hardly notice anything, but deer flies. It is disheartening.
Keep the faith -- letting that pasture grow wild should indeed help with pollinators! It could take some time.
It’s tricky to know with surety just what’s going on some days. A month ago, down in Oregon hundreds and hundreds of checkerspots on each little beach, it seemed. Never, ever seen so many in that place. Just a fluke good year? Who knows. But I walked a stretch yesterday where I would normally encounter at least a few dozen goldfinches this time of year, their fave thistles are blooming and there’s plenty of fluff for nests and seeds, and I did not see even one goldfinch. Haunting.
Never encountered this winged magician you describe, but absolutely loved your ardor in describing it and am most grateful once again for your masterful storytelling. Thank you, Bryan.
There were probably newly emerged male checkerspots puddling? A puddle party? They can indeed be abundant in those situations.
You're keeping us all inspired with words and images, David. Thanks for being here and being you!
Every butterfly edition you publish offers awe and heartbreak. 🦋💔 Our species is truly the most horrific predator.
Awe and heartbreak -- a big part of the human experience. Thanks for sharing a lot of it as well on Seven Senses, Sabrina!
The best answer, if it can happen, is to educate children in the classroom and outdoors. Build the fascination and interest from a young age. When they grow up they may care for natural habitat. It’s just a small idea though, against big agriculture.
This is, I believe, indeed the best answer. And it's particularly well described in the book Silent Earth by Dave Goulson:
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/silent-earth-dave-goulson?variant=39971729375266
Thanks, Terry!
With all the disruption in schools now and what can and can not be taught it will be hard to get teachers to fro things. Here in Florida they are given what to teach and never to veer from it. They are basically teaching to the tests they use to promote kids to the next grade. Most of this is in elementary school and middle school. the high schools have more variety. But they are trying to rid us of AP classes and Dual enrolled which allows kids to earn college credits for certain classes they take. My granddaughter earned her first 2 years of college that way and graduated with a high school diploma and anas degree at the same time. Saved the parents a lot of money as they do not pay for the college credits.I see some butterflies here on the west coast of Florida and we have birds in our backyards in a residential area. We also have rabbits, turtles and bob cats.
Thank you , Bryan, for doing the hard work, and writing so eloquently about your findings. I know how dear butterflies are to your heart, to think , we took for granted in our youth, the magic of their flutter and artistic display. I do not ever remember thinking , what if…, someday…
This is the first year I haven't seen any Monarchs or black swallow tails visible my pollinators garden. I have several varieties of milkweed, parsly, Rue, bee balm, Echinacea and asters. Im seeing lots of bees but no butterflies.
I can't recall where you are, Kathleen -- but, yeah, abundance can really vary locally. I haven't been keeping careful track of things, but I think I've noticed a bit of traffic on the Monarch email discussion lists suggesting that numbers seem low this summer in portions of the U.S.
Im in Paramus NJ.
Thank you, Bryan, for yet another beautiful and heartbreaking essay – and for inserting that tiny glimmer of a silver lining ("A fate we might yet avert").
I've been thinking a lot in recent years about the irony of military landscapes offering sanctuary to endangered species, esp. the Iron Curtain, which gave refuge to over 1,200 rare and endangered species in Germany alone. From my initial take ("remove humans and the rest of nature will recover") I have come to see that beyond keeping humans (along with intensive agriculture, urban sprawl, roads etc) out by brutal means, that former border may well offer glimpses into older cultural landscapes, along with human land uses that promote biodiversity. If anyone here is interested in exploring this further with me, please get in touch! klangevt@gmail.com. Bryan, I hope it's okay to post a link/the URL to my essay in The Revelator below to give people an idea of what i am talking/thinking about. Thanks again for helping me think about all this with your writing!!
https://therevelator.org/green-belt-germany/
I'm SO GLAD you've mentioned this, Kerstin. And yes, by all means, thanks for The Revelator link!!!
Love your writing, but I don't think that's an argument that many anthropologists make (that our attraction to open spaces is evolutionary)--that's really evolutionary psychology, a different kind of field and one that I don't think holds up very well.
I think attraction to various landscapes (open or otherwise) is mostly a modern, cultural, cultivated, historical desire, not an instinctive or evolutionary feeling.
Thanks, Timothy. I value your opinion, and I'll look more closely at this. If this is indeed a modern, cultural, cultivated, historical desire, what might be driving it?
A lot of inputs, from 19th Century romanticism to American Manifest Destiny to Russian literature before the Bolshevik Revolution, etc.; in some parts of the world, open fields or expansive spaces aren't necessarily the subject of deep cultural admiration or profound feelings. A lot of it I think comes from the European sense of land as scarce and highly inhabited and used; in societies where land scarcity is a result of later European narratives through colonialism, etc., maybe not so much of an idea.
Great stuff. Thanks again, Timothy. I'm rushing off into the field for a while -- so I haven't had time to poke around in the literature much. I am normally skeptical of these evolutionary holdovers. But I did find a line of published work in anthropology that does indeed support this evolutionary hypothesis. A hot topic, from what I can tell. Controversial -- with some refutation. I'm certainly inclined to the inputs and drivers you describe. So the African savannah hypothesis is perhaps one among many (I'm into multitudes). Sorry to rush. I'm heading for wetlands!
I'm a Hoosier by birth and have never seen this beauty! I have to agree with your description of the state: "corn, corn, soybeans, wheat, and livestock," but also with a strip mall or a lake every now and then.
Oh, yeah -- strip malls. Ugh. (I did indeed consider adding them!)
Half that corn=ethanol=our insane car-based culture.
What a beautiful butterfly! I hope it can be effectively conserved.
I've been surveying butterflies in a couple of sites in Edinburgh for the past two years and most species here are in decline. In fact there's been a steep decline in many types of insects here over the past few years. This year however, suddenly there are more 7 Spot Ladybirds (our commonest ladybug species) and more Syrphus (our most common hoverfly) than I've seen for years. So occasionally it does seem as though there might be some hope, though overall declines continue.
Life in Earth’s prairies,
fate seems up to predators.
In this case, that’s us.
...
Butterfly decline,
relentless, pervasive, real.
Matched by our resolve?
"... a fading of butterfly light." Now that's a sobering image. I hope to behold a Regal Fritillary some day. Thank you for sharing it with us here.
Maybe Diana Frit near you?
It is not uncommon to see a Gulf Fritillary here in NC. I have seen several in our yard during our time here. Our most common visitors this time of year are Eastern tiger swallowtails, painted ladies, red-spotted and purple admirals, and cabbage whites. Maybe a lone monarch or two. And once, a zebra swallowtail.
Oh Bryan, I'm so sorry you didn't see them! What you saw is what we are seeing here in St. Louis. We are doing our last Butterfly Count for the season at Shaw Nature Preserve this weekend. Our Last count on May 31st was very troubling. We had only 34 Species and 468 Individuals compared to last year when we had 48 species and 1, 051 individuals. That is a very dramatic drop in numbers. I'm seeing a dramatic drop in my yard and when I go on lone butterfly walks. It is heartbreaking. I don't want to live in a world without butterflies and birds. I fear that it's a little too late to turn the tides.
It's hard to click "like" on your comment, Lisa. In any event, I know your heartbreak.