Protected areas fail to cover the full annual cycle of migratory butterflies

Abstract Effective conservation of migratory species relies on protection throughout their annual cycle1, something that has not been assessed globally for migratory insects. Here, we develop seasonal ecological niche models for 405 migratory butterfly species globally to assess whether they are adequately covered by protected areas (PAs) across their full annual cycle. PA coverage was inadequate in at least one season for 83% of migratory butterflies and 17% only achieved target representation in one season, and 43% did not meet the target representation in any season. While 95% of migratory butterflies met the target representation in Australia, only 1% did so in the Oriental region, indicating marked geographic variation in PA coverage. Coordinated efforts, across multiple countries, are needed to develop PAs that conserve migratory animals.