Geek Trivia: Which Country Has The Most Butterfly Species?

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Answer: Peru

There are an estimated 15,000-20,000 unique butterfly species in the world. While some countries have more of a butterfly-courting edge than others, the diversity of butterflies in Brazil is much higher than in Norway as you’d imagine, there’s no place quite like Peru.

The tropical South American country boasts 3,700 recorded species which, even by a liberal estimate of the total number of unique butterfly species, means Peru’s butterfly population represents roughly 20 percent of the butterfly diversity on Earth.

The highest concentration of butterfly species within Peru is located in the Pakitza region of Manu National Park. There you can find 1,300 unique species alone (a diversity far greater than that found in most countries in their entirety). Even with the vast number of recorded species in Peru, researchers believe the butterfly population to be vastly under-recorded and expect to find hundreds more new species.

Image by Geoff Gallice. 

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