Butterflies
Table of Contents
Introduction
Butterflies as Indicator Species
"Butterflies are increasingly being recognised as valuable environmental indicators, both for their rapid and sensitive responses to subtle habitat or climatic changes and as representatives for the diversity and responses of other wildlife." - UKBMS: Butterfly Indicators
Benefits of Butterflies
Food for Predators
Amphibians such as frogs, birds including swallows, snakes, spiders, and other environmentally important species eat butterflies. While this might not sound great to us, this is important, as those same species also help keep down the numbers of mosquitos, biting flies, and the many species which feed on important crops.
Pollinators
Pollination is a vital part of many plant species' reproductive cycle, including many of the crops we rely on. Hand pollination can be done using Q-tips or soft brushes, but this very expensive and inefficient, resulting in far less success than when our native pollinators do the work for us, for free!
Indicator Species
Butterflies can help represent insect populations in general (as they are particularly easy to spot and have very short lifecycles), indicating the impact of pollutants such as pesticides, habitat loss, and climate change.
Butterflies as Indicator Species by Region
This section is intended to give people a reference of their own local indicator species. These might not be full guides, particularly as we are constantly learning new ways in which different species can indicate important information.
Europe
UK
England
Burgess Park: Indicator Species species listed with their names and photos, as well as what they indicate.
Europe
UK
Butterfly Conservation: Identifying a Butterfly "You can set or adjust your search criteria in the left hand column below. If you know which butterfly you would like more information on, use our butterfly A to Z."
Northern Ireland
CEDaR (Center for Environmental Data and Recording) Online Recording Click the link to see what projects are available. They have specific links for Owls, Butterflies, Marine, Invasive Species, Lady Birds and more! Some of the links will take you to projects for specific regions including the Ring of Gullion and Belfast Hills.
Oceana
Australia
Australian Pollinator Count 🦋 🐝 🦇 "It’s census time for Australian pollinators, and they need your help."
Butterfly Conservation SA: Online Identification Tool 🦋 "To filter the list of butterflies below, select either a set of physical attributes or a geographic location, then press GO to make the filter take effect.
This website mainly focuses on the greater Adelaide region To identify butterflies further afield, check out another website which we maintain, starting by clicking on an area on the SA Regional map here"
New Zealand
Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand: Species search by name of photo. Click each icon to learn more.
Ways to Help Butterflies
Rewilding
This can include planting important food or host plants, providing water sources, butterfly boxes to prevent against harsh weather, or even species re-introductions.
No matter where you live, there are many different types of garden for different locations, situations, and goals.
Reintroductions of Extinct Species
New Butterflies Introduced in San Francisco's Presidio After Species Went Extinct in 1940s
2:54 minute video. "An intrepid group of butterflies is about to help turn the clock back nearly a century in San Francisco's Presidio. Biologist Durrell Kapan, Ph.D. of the California Academy of Sciences says the butterflies will be replacing a long-lost species called the Xerces Blue that went extinct in the 1940s."
Resources & Guides
Using A Sweep Net by Texas Junior Naturalists offers practical information including links to bug guides by Order.
Tools & Resources
North America
Pollinator Conservation Resource Center "Region-specific resources to aid in the planning, establishment, restoration, and maintenance of pollinator habitat.
Welcome to the Pollinator Conservation Resource Center! Here we offer region-specific collections of publications, native plant and seed suppliers, and other resources to aid in planning, establishing, restoring, and maintaining pollinator habitat—as well as materials to help you learn about the various invertebrates you might encounter.
To view resources relevant to where you live and work, start by selecting your region from the map or the list."Regional Milkweed Guides "are a series of regional guides to the native milkweeds of North America."
Oceana
Australia
Powerful Pollinators "is a program designed to increase the prevalence, health and diversity of pollinators in the landscape. The program encourages the strategic planting of ‘trees for bees’ and other pollinators and provides Powerful Pollinators Planting Guides developed by experienced botanists and field ecologists for use by landholders.
The Guides specify relevant information about pollinator habitat and floral resources to enable users such as land managers, Landcare groups, nurseries and gardeners to select the most appropriate indigenous species that provide value for pollinators."
Tools & Apps
Africa
Namibia
Atlas of Butterflies "This is one of the newest component of Atlasing in Namibia. To start with, we are recording adult butterflies only - not other life stages such as pupae or caterpillars - and not moths."
Organizations
Europe
UK
Butterfly Conservation "Butterflies and moths are sensitive indicators of the health of our environment. Find out how you can help them."
North America
Canada
Pollinator Partnership Canada " is a registered charity dedicated to the protection and promotion of pollinators and their ecosystems through conservation, education, and research."
Oceana
Australia
New Zealand
Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand "Our mission is to engage with New Zealanders to ensure our biodiversity promotes a thriving moth and butterfly population. These are special initiatives we're working on.
South America
Colombia
Pro Aves "works to protect its 27 Nature Reserves, conserving more than 65,000 hectares of key ecosystems for Colombia’s biodiversity, including alpine tundra ecosystems such as the páramo and subpáramo, mountain forests, tropical rainforests, tropical dry forests, and mangrove swamps."
Maps
International
Butterfly Conservation: Wild Spaces: Put Your Wild Space on the Map "Our interactive map shows the number and types of Wild Space near you. When you sign up in the UK, your Wild Space will also appear on the map so you can show everyone that you're taking action and encourage others to get involved too."
Europe
UK
Butterfly Conservation: Wild Spaces: Put Your Wild Space on the Map "Our interactive map shows the number and types of Wild Space near you. When you sign up in the UK, your Wild Space will also appear on the map so you can show everyone that you're taking action and encourage others to get involved too."
UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme: Species Results Click each species' name and click the "Abundance" tab to see their map.
North America
Pollinator Conservation Resource Center (Interactive) "Region-specific resources to aid in the planning, establishment, restoration, and maintenance of pollinator habitat.
Welcome to the Pollinator Conservation Resource Center! Here we offer region-specific collections of publications, native plant and seed suppliers, and other resources to aid in planning, establishing, restoring, and maintaining pollinator habitat—as well as materials to help you learn about the various invertebrates you might encounter.
To view resources relevant to where you live and work, start by selecting your region from the map or the list."
Grants & Funding
North America
USA
Texas
Monarch Garden Grants "The Native Plant Society of Texas awards small grants to nature centers, schools, educational groups and others to help fund development of Monarch demonstration gardens or Monarch Waystations using native plants on public sites in Texas. The purpose of this program is to educate members, applicants, and the public about Monarch conservation and native plants, and to encourage restoration of Monarch habitats throughout the Texas migration flyway."