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Why do butterflies matter? Butterflies are recognised as valuable environmental indicators, as they are some of our best monitored insects through schemes such as Big Butterfly Count and UKBMS. Butterflies have short life cycles and therefore react quickly to environmental changes – so are our canary in the coalmine for the wider environment.
- Why Butterflies and Moths Are Important
- Intrinsic Value
- Aesthetic Value
- Educational Value
- Scientific Value
- Ecosystem Value
- Health Value
- Economic Value
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.
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 and moths are part of our natural heritage and have been studied for over 300 years.Butterflies and moths are beautiful. Many are iconic and popular.People like butterflies.There are many references to butterflies and moths in literature, from the Bible through Shakespeare to modern day literature, and from poetry to musical lyrics.Butterflies and moths have fascinating life-cycles that are used in many countries to teach children about the natural world. The transformation from egg to caterpillar to chrysalis is one of the w...Other educational aspects include the intricate wing patterns and iridescence, and as examples of insect migration.Butterflies (and moths to a lesser extent) are an extremely important group of ‘model’ organisms used, for centuries, to investigate many areas of biological research, including such diverse fields...The long history and popularity of butterfly study have provided a unique data resource on an insect group unmatched in geographical scale and timescale anywhere in the world. This has proved extre...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 bil...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 volu...Several hundreds of thousands of people garden for wildlife in the UK, many of them specifically for butterflies and moths.Thousands of people travel abroad each year looking for butterflies and moths. Eco-tours bring valuable income to many European countries and developing countries around the world (e.g. the valley...Every butterfly and moth has developed its own suite of chemicals to deter predators and parasites, find a mate, and overcome the chemical defences of its host plant. Each of these chemicals has a...The total number of moths recorded in Rothamsted trap samples has declined by a third since 1968.Our UK Conservation Strategy explains how and why butterflies and moths have declined in recent decades and how we have prioritised 26 butterfly and 103 moth species for conservation action.
Jul 19, 2019 · Why should we care about insects? Available evidence supports a tentative estimate of 10% of insect species being threatened globally. That's not good because insects keep other ecosystems healthy and thriving, and we rely on them for a variety of key food crops .
The threat from climate change gives a sense of urgency to Butterfly Conservation’s strategy of conserving species at a landscape scale, making existing habitats bigger, better managed and more well connected.
Apr 22, 2022 · The State of the UK’s Butterflies 2015 report found that 76% of the UK’s resident and regular migrant butterflies have declined in abundance, occurrence or both over the last four decades, with challenges to their numbers continuing to worsen.
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Aug 25, 2022 · An endangered butterfly that was once extinct in the UK has had its best summer in 150 years. The large blue butterfly is one of Europe's most endangered insects but thousands have been...
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