We examined the influence of climate and habitat changes on the occurrence of butterflies in South Korea, using data recorded in two different periods: (i) past (1938–1950) and (ii) present (1996–2011). Butterfly species were classified according to their distribution types (northern, southern, and miscellaneous) to examine the effect of climate change. They were also classified according to three different habitat types (forest interior, forest edge, and grassland) to examine the effect of habitat change. Three types of food niche (monophagous, oligophagous, and polyphagous) were identified. A community temperature index (CTI), based on the species temperature index of each species, was calculated for past and present butterfly communities to estimate range shifts of butterflies at the community level. At the species level, range shifts of butterflies were calculated as a shift of the mid-zone of the distribution range in terms of latitude and temperature. The results showed that a change in the occurrence of butterflies was not significantly different among the three distribution types. The CTIs were not different between past and present communities, and the mid-zones of distribution range in latitude and temperature did not change. These results indicate that the occurrence change of butterflies was not significantly influenced by climate change but was instead influenced by habitat change from bare-ground or grassland to forests over 60 years. There was an increase in forest species and a decrease in grassland species, reflecting the effects of large-scale reforestation in South Korea over the last few decades. The reforestation has resulted in an increase in monophagous (oak-feeding) butterflies. Our results show that habitat change played a key role in the occurrence of Korean butterflies and may be confounding any possible influence of climate change.

我们使用两个不同时期记录的数据检查了气候和栖息地变化对韩国蝴蝶发生的影响：（i）过去（1938-1950年）和（ii）现在（1996-2011年）。根据蝴蝶的分布类型（北部，南部和其他）对蝴蝶物种进行分类，以检查气候变化的影响。还根据三种不同的栖息地类型（森林内部，森林边缘和草地）对它们进行了分类，以研究栖息地变化的影响。确定了三种类型的食物生态位（单食，低食和多食）。基于每个物种的过去和现在的蝴蝶群落，计算了每个物种的物种温度指数所得出的群落温度指数（CTI），以估计群落水平上蝴蝶的范围变化。在物种层面上 蝴蝶的距离变化计算为分布范围的中间区域在纬度和温度方面的变化。结果表明，三种分布类型之间蝴蝶发生的变化没有显着差异。过去和现在的社区之间的CTI并无不同，纬度和温度分布范围的中部区域没有变化。这些结果表明，蝴蝶的发生变化并没有受到气候变化的显着影响，而是受到了60多年来从裸地或草地到森林的栖息地变化的影响。森林种类增加而草地种类减少，这反映了过去几十年韩国大规模重新造林的影响。植树造林导致单相食（摄食橡木）蝴蝶的增加。我们的研究结果表明，栖息地的变化在韩国蝴蝶的发生中起着关键作用，并且可能使气候变化的任何可能影响混淆。