Recent butterfly extinctions in Sweden reveal the inadequacy of site‐based protection and the need for landscape‐scale management

Abstract Recent extinctions of protected butterflies in regions with strong conservation frameworks raise concerns about biodiversity loss in northwestern Europe. Using historical records, citizen science data and systematic surveys, we documented the local extinctions of three butterfly species ( Parnassius mnemosyne ssp. argiope , Melitaea britomartis , and Plebejus argyrognomon ), which are high‐priority conservation targets in Sweden and beyond. Parnassius mnemosyne is further protected under the EU Habitats Directive, Swedish national regulations, and the Bern Convention. While some European butterflies are expanding northward with climate change, these three diet and habitat specialists show range contractions across their distributions. Following the severe drought in 2018, M. britomartis was last observed in Sweden that same year, P. argyrognomon persisted until 2019, and P. mnemosyne ssp. argiope until 2023. Despite Sweden's environmental protection measures, species action plans, and monitoring programs, these extinctions highlight the vulnerability of isolated populations on northern margins to land‐use intensification and extreme weather events. Conservation success now hinges on coordinated efforts by universities, environmental authorities, and conservation organizations to not only manage remaining grassland specialists but also restore and reconnect habitat at the landscape scale.