Butterflies Are Shrinking: Evidence from the Past Century
Konstantina Zografou, Eva Knop, Brent J. Sewall, George C. Adamidis, Oliver Schweiger, Theodoros Semertzidis, Panagiotis Stalidis, Consuelo Μ. De Moraes, Mark C. Mescher, Melissa R. L. Whitaker, Michael Greeff, Konstantinos M Anagnostellis, Marina Brokaki, Eleftheria Kaltsouni, Maria Dimaki, Vassiliki I. Kati
This study uses historical butterfly museum data to show a century-long decline in body size, more pronounced in warmer biomes, supporting the temperature-size rule.
bioRxiv · Feb 5, 2025 · PreprintEcology