Nature
As fragile barometers of biodiversity, the decline of butterfl ies serves as a serious warning. And their loss is ours…
Wings of Love
T
hey have fl uttered around the planet for at least 50 million years, mesmerising all in their
tracks with their fl ights of fi nesse and breathtaking colours. From the tiniest blues to the largest
birdwings, each butterfl y is uniquely beautiful, enveloping those who witness their delicate aerial dancing in romantic images of fl owery meadows and warm sunshine. Epitomising the essence of nature, they are a symbol of freedom, peace and love. But these enticing insects are
under threat from unprecedented environmental upheaval. Natural habitats are being destroyed on a massive scale globally and the eff ects of climate change are becoming ever more apparent. As fragile indicators of
biodiversity, the decline of both butterfl ies – and their sister moths – is serious cause for concern. A highly diverse group, there are 12,000 to 15,000 butterfl y species and up to 250,000 types of moth in the world, making up around one quarter of all named species.
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While butterfl ies take all the glory in the beauty stakes, moths can be stunning too and are equally crucial. T e UK has 59 species of butterfl ies
– 57 of these are resident species while the Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow are regular migrants. T ree quarters of British butterfl ies
have been in decline over the last four decades while fi ve species have become extinct in the last 150 years. “Butterfl ies and moths are incredibly
important to the environment and a key indicator of the health of UK wildlife,” says Dr Caroline Bulman, Senior Conservation Manager for the charity, Butterfl y Conservation. “Apart from being incredible
and beautiful species in their own right, butterfl ies and moths are key pollinators. T ey have fascinating life cycles and the transformation from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis is one of the wonders of nature.” Areas rich in butterfl ies and moths
boast a wide range of invertebrates, which collectively benefi t the ecosystem by providing pollination and natural pest control.
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T ey play a key role in the food chain for birds, bats and other insect-feeding animals. For example, in the UK and Ireland, Blue Tits eat an estimated 50 billion moth caterpillars each year. And the numbers are key to
scientists understanding what’s going on with our planet. Dr Bulman observes, “Butterfl ies
and moths are an extremely important group of ‘model’ organisms used for centuries to investigate many areas of ecological research. “T ey are also contributing to
our understanding of the impacts of climate change as the long history and popularity of butterfl y study have provided a unique data resource on an insect group, unmatched in geographical scale and timescale anywhere in the world.” T e UK’s warm spring has seen
midsummer butterfl ies emerging earlier than usual, with a butterfl y bonanza predicted for this summer. While this may seem like great news
for those wishing to catch a glimpse of these wonderful creatures, the boom will be only short term if their life
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