Butterflies conjure up images of sunshine, the warmth and colour of flowery meadows, and summer gardens teaming with life. Sadly, four butterflies became extinct during the last 150 years. Three-quarters of British butterflies are in decline.
The 56 species in Britain and Ireland are under threat today from unprecedented environmental change. Butterflies and moths have been recognised by the Government as indicators of biodiversity. Their fragility makes them quick to react to change so their struggle to survive is a serious warning about our environment.
Habitats have been destroyed on a massive scale, and now patterns of climate and weather are shifting unpredictably in response to pollution of the atmosphere but the disappearance of these beautiful creatures is more serious than just a loss of colour in the countryside.
Conserving butterflies will improve our whole environment for wildlife and enrich the lives of people now and in the future.
Why butterflies and moths are important
There are many reasons why butterflies and moths are important, both in their own right but also as quality of life indicators. The following are the main reasons for conserving butterflies and moths in the UK and around the world.
Intrinsic value
Butterflies and moths are intrinsically valuable and are worthy of conservation in their own right.
Butterflies and moths are part of Life on Earth and an important component of its rich biodiversity.
They have been around for at least 50 million years and probably first evolved some 150 million years ago.
Butterflies and moths are a highly diverse group comprising over 250,000 species and make up around one quarter of all named species.
Butterflies are flagship species for conservation in general, and in particular for invertebrates.
Ecosystem value
Butterflies and moths are indicators of a healthy environment and healthy ecosystems.
They indicate a wide range of other invertebrates, which comprise over two-thirds of all species.
Areas rich in butterflies and moths are rich in other invertebrates. These collectively provide a wide range of environmental benefits, including pollination and natural pest control.
Moths and butterflies are an important element of the food chain and are prey for birds, bats and other insectivorous animals (for example, in Britain and Ireland, Blue Tits eat an estimated 50 billion moth caterpillars each year).
Butterflies and moths support a range of other predators and parasites, many of which are specific to individual species, or groups of species.
Butterflies have been widely used by ecologists as model organisms to study the impact of habitat loss and fragmentation, and climate change.
Health value
People enjoy seeing butterflies both around their homes and in the countryside.
Over 10,000 people record butterflies and moths in the UK alone, involving getting outside and walking considerable distances. Over 850 sites are monitored each week in the UK and collectively volunteers have walked the equivalent of the distance to the moon counting butterflies.
Several hundreds of thousands of people garden for wildlife in the UK, many of them specifically for butterflies and moths.
That's why butterflies are so important to our environment.. 😊😊
Wow. nice article :)