Butterfly populations in Catalonia in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature by basking in the sunshine, but rising global temperatures due to climate change may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction.
Butterfly populations in Catalonia in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature by basking in the sunshine, but rising global temperatures due to climate change may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction.
An international study, led by the University of Cambridge and the Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (IBE) in Barcelona, found that butterflies use different methods to regulate their body temperature. In Catalonia, butterflies tend to angle their wings towards the sun to warm up at lower temperatures, while British butterflies rely more on finding warm microclimates.
However, as local temperatures rise, both populations switch to heat-avoiding behaviour. And as global temperatures rise, British butterflies may initially benefit, while Spanish butterflies may not be able to survive if they are not able to adapt quickly enough.
Read more at: University of Cambridge
Butterfly populations in Catalonia in northern Spain are better than their UK counterparts at regulating their body temperature by basking in the sunshine, but rising global temperatures due to climate change may put Spanish butterflies at greater risk of extinction. (Photo Credit: Andrew Bladon)
