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Everything ForecastGeo has ingested that places a story in Rio De Janeiro — 8 articles from 4 outlets.
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Butterflies are on the move as the planet warms: new research
Imagine spotting a butterfly species in your garden you have never seen before. You might take a photo and upload it to a citizen science app, or tell a local nature group about your new encounter. It feels like a small moment of joy. But if that butterfly has appeared in your backyard because its old home is becoming too hot, too dry or too damaged, the sighting is more worrying. Around the world, ongoing environmental changes are prompting many butterfly species to relocate and search for new homes, a process referred to as species range shifts or species redistribution. As temperatures, rainfall and habitats change, butterflies can relocate over long distances, or even move vertically up and down mountain ranges. Our new global study found one in ten known butterfly species has already shifted in range. So, where are they going – and why? The gram blue (Euchrysops cnejus) expanded its range in Australia, Nepal and Oman. Shawan Chowdhury How do we know butterflies are on the move? The data used in our global study was comprehensive: more than 6,180 reports of butterfly range shift from 565 studies and 68 expert assessments, which covered 1,758 species across 105 countries. These showed 80% of the documented butterfly species had expanded their ranges latitudinally, meaning east to west, or longitudinally, meaning north to south. We found 27% had reduced their range and 22% had shifted up or down slopes on hills or mountains. Many species showed a combination of these range changes. The public narrative is often simplistic: as the world warms, species are shifting towards cooler temperatures at higher latitudes, or moving upwards in mountains. This is happening, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. In fact, butterflies need more than to find new homes at the right temperature. Caterpillars often depend on specific host plants; adults need nectar, shelter and safe places to breed; and populations also require connected habitats so individuals can move easily through the landscape, meet, reproduce and breed. Change can come quickly Some species show how fast changes can happen. The tawny coster (Acraea terpsicore) native to the Indian subcontinent, has expanded through Southeast Asia and into Australia. In Brazil, (Godartiana byses) has expanded from Rio de Janeiro and Bahia into São Paulo, a shift linked to climate warming. Other species show the opposite pattern. The small blue (Cupido minimus) has lost 40% of its habitat in the United Kingdom over the past 150 years. In Germany, the cranberry fritillary (Boloria aquilonaris) has lost much of its original habitat because of bog drainage. In Romania, an increase in farming has been linked to a severe range contraction of the danube clouded yellow (Colias myrmidone). Even range shifts along mountain slopes are not always straightforward. In Mexico, the painted lady (Vanessa cardui) shifted upslope at a rate of about 83 metres per year between 1988 and 2011. Over the same period, the queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) shifted downslope at a rate of about 32m per year. Together, these examples show butterfly species range shifts are not simply a story of animals moving towards the poles. The chocolate albatross (Appias lyncida) expanded and contracted its range in Sri Lanka, and moved down from higher elevations in Taiwan. Shawan Chowdhury What’s causing this change? In our study, climate change and extreme weather events were the most common reasons why butterflies shifted their range. But climate change is not the only factor. Agriculture, forestry, urban development and habitat destruction are also reshaping where butterflies can live and reproduce. These disturbances destroy host plants and breeding sites, and fragment large habitats into patches too small to sustain a healthy population. Europe and North America have many long-term butterfly monitoring programs, run by expert volunteers and citizen scientists. We found that in some European countries, range shifts have been documented for more than half the national butterfly species. But in most countries, records exist for fewer than 10% of known butterfly species. We know the least about butterflies in Central Africa, Southeast Asia, New Guinea and the Amazon Basin, some of the richest places on Earth for biodiversity. They are also places where many species may already live close to their upper thermal limits. Even small increases in temperature can make parts of their habitat unsuitable. Supporting experts and volunteers to develop citizen science monitoring programs would better protect butterflies in these megadiverse countries. The great orange tip (Hebomoia glaucippe) has expanded in India and contracted in Taiwan. Shawan Chowdhury Why this matters Why should people care? Butterflies are part of the living fabric around us. Adult butterflies contribute to pollination. Caterpillars feed birds, spiders and other insects. When butterflies disappear, it can signal the plants, grasslands or woodlands once visited by butterflies are also changing. This matters for conservation. Many protected areas are based on maps of where species lived in the past. But if butterflies and other species are moving, those maps quickly become outdated. The message is simple. Conservation cannot only protect habitats where species once lived – it must include the places where they will relocate, and the wildlife corridors they will use to get there. If not, we may keep protecting yesterday’s nature while tomorrow’s nature has nowhere left to go. Aletta Bonn is member of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (WBGU). Jonathan Lenoir and Shawan Chowdhury do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
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Rio de Janeiro Daily Brief — Tuesday, August 4, 2026
Rio Daily Brief for Tuesday, August 4, 2026: today's weather, markets, open museums, and expat tips. Plan your day with our verified guide. The post Rio de Janeiro Daily Brief — Tuesday, August 4, 2026 appeared first on The Rio Times.
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Court Blocks Brazil Central Bank from Ambipar Restructuring
BUSINESS · RESTRUCTURING, 2 AUGUST 2026 Key Facts —Ruling — Rio de Janeiro’s 3rd Business Court rejected the Banco Central’s bid to join Ambipar’s judicial reorganisation as amicus curiae, in a decision released 30 July 2026. —Judge — Leonardo de Castro Gomes held that the derivatives question was already procedurally settled. —Derivatives — The court […] The post Court Blocks Brazil Central Bank from Ambipar Restructuring appeared first on The Rio Times.
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Brazil Population 2026: Official Guide & 2100 Outlook
Brazil's official 2022 census counted 203.1 million people. Get verified 2026 estimates, 2100 projections, Christian population data, and homelessness The post Brazil Population 2026: Official Guide & 2100 Outlook appeared first on The Rio Times.
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AFROPUNK Brazil 2026 Returns to Salvador With Kehlani
AFROPUNK Brazil 2026 lands in Salvador, Bahia, on November 7-8 with a lineup blending international stars and Brazilian icons. Here is your practical guide to the festival for expats and digital nomads. The post AFROPUNK Brazil 2026 Returns to Salvador With Kehlani appeared first on The Rio Times.
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US government map of Africa gets every country wrong at global conference
A US government map of Africa mislabelled every country during a State Department presentation at a global conference taking place in Brazil this week, causing a stir among attendees who took screenshots and posted them online. Reuters viewed a video of the presentation given at the Aids 2026 conference in Rio de Janeiro, which shows the errant map displayed halfway during a presentation about the State Department’s new health agreements. A Reuters analysis found the image of the map included...
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Trump administration mislabels African countries in slideshow at AIDS conference
Trump administration mislabels African countries in slideshow at AIDS conference MEE staff on Thu, 07/30/2026 - 19:05 The State Department said a staffer hastily arranged the map but did not apologise to its African partners at the event A screen shows a US government map of Africa with mislabelled countries during a State Department presentation at a global conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 26 July 2026 (Supplied by a third party to Reuters) Off A Trump administration slideshow at a conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), has caused outrage for displaying a map of Africa with countries incorrectly labelled. Jeff Graham, the US envoy for the president's emergency plan for AIDS relief, a George W Bush-era programme, was leading the presentation. Reuters viewed a video of the event, which took place last week, and reported on Thursday that the map was found to have watermarks signalling it was made with OpenAI tools. OpenAI is the San Francisco-based artificial intelligence innovator behind programmes like ChatGPT. The map was intended to show where the US has struck health agreements across Africa. It showed a landlocked Nigeria, which actually faces the Atlantic Ocean. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The Ivory Coast was not only shown on the wrong side of the continent, but not along the coast at all. Mozambique was shown as landlocked in the Horn of Africa when it is much further south, across from Madagascar. The State Department told Reuters it "takes full responsibility" for the error, and that a staffer had hastily arranged the map. It did not apologise to its African partners at the conference. US Secretary of State Rubio terminates all USAID positions abroad: Report Read More » It added that the US remains committed to achieving "real results" in the fight against AIDS on the African continent. The incident comes as the Trump administration has not only shut down its leading aid provider, the US Agency for International Development, but has also slashed at least a third of the foreign service, in a bid to streamline government operations and roll back the budget. What began as a 90-day freeze on foreign assistance in early 2025 turned into an almost complete dismantling of American humanitarian efforts. The potentially deadly consequences for the most vulnerable, often children, were raised. “No children are dying on my watch,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisted several months into the cost-saving programme. But Atul Gawande, who served in the Biden administration as assistant administrator for global health at USAID, warned that with such large-scale cuts, “you’re talking hundreds of thousands [of deaths] in year one at a minimum. Just on the reduction in immunisations, you’re talking about more than a million”. The Center for Global Development found that US cuts to the world’s largest funder of humanitarian aid could contribute to as many as 700,000 deaths per year. US Politics News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0
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Rio de Janeiro Nightlife Tonight — July 30, 2026
The only Thursday-night guide you need for Rio de Janeiro. Live samba, rooftop bars, hipster hubs, Lapa street parties, and LGBTQ+ hotspots with exact. The post Rio de Janeiro Nightlife Tonight — July 30, 2026 appeared first on The Rio Times.