Author: Jane
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2019: A Good Year for British Butterflies
According to the results of the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme’s annual butterfly count, 2019 was the best year since 1997 for British butterflies. In 2019 Butterfly numbers increased compared to 2018 with many species making dramatic improvements. In particular, the Marbled White showed more than a 60% increase, while the Dark Green Fritillary was up…
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53% Drop in Monarch Butterflies No Cause for Alarm
According to data from Mexico, the number of Monarch butterflies spending their winter at a resting ground in Mexico has decreased by 53% compared to last year. The news as sparked alarm among butterfly conservation circles, however, Jorge Rickards, head of WWF Mexico, says the drop “is not alarming.” Rickards’ points out that last years’…
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The Mystery of Gender-Bending Butterflies
This article explains some very interesting and surprising research undertaken at Yale university in the USA. Gender-bending butterflies observed in Yale study If you’re a male butterfly looking to mate, locate the females raised in cooler temperatures and you can sit back and let them woo you. Yale University researchers identified this gender reversal behavior…
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The Monarch Butterfly
The Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is a well-known North American butterfly. Its wings feature an easily recognizable orange and black pattern. The females have darker veins on their wings, and the males have a spot in the center of each hindwing from which pheromones are released. Migration Monarchs are especially noted for their lengthy annual…
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Fascinating Butterfly Facts
Butterflies are winged creatures belonging to the order Lepidoptera, which also included moths. It is unlikely that you have not seen them, fluttering about in your garden or in your local park, skipping from flower to flower. Each butterfly you see belongs to one to two superfamilies, either Hesperioidea (commonly known as ‘Skippers’) or Papilionoidea.…
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Butterfly Conservation
Don’t let any more species of butterfly go extinct. Read this important introduction to butterfly conservation and learn how to protect butterflies. When Did Butterfly Conservation Efforts Begin? People first began to recognise the need for butterfly conservation in the 1960s. Racheal Carson released her seminal book, Silent Spring in 1962. The book focused on…
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How to Make the Perfect Butterfly Garden
How to Design A Butterfly Garden Quick Tips for Making the Perfect Butterfly Garden: Avoid using pesticides or fungicides in your garden. Butterflies like organic nectar. Ensure your garden is full of nectar producing flowers for as much of the year as possible. If you cannot always have flowers install a butterfly feeder instead. Provide…
