butterflies

UK Butterfly Numbers at Record Low in ‘Warning Sign to Us All,’ Conservationists Report

UK Butterfly Numbers at Record Low in ‘Warning Sign to Us All,’ Conservationists Report

Following record-low reports of butterflies in the UK, British charity Butterfly Conservation is sounding the alarm. The charity, which crowdsources data from UK participants through their Big Butterfly Count, put out a blog post explaining that participants are reporting “just over half” the amount of butterflies compared to this time last year. This year’s Big […]

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    Half of UK Butterfly Species Now Threatened or Near Threatened With Extinction

    Half of UK Butterfly Species Now Threatened or Near Threatened With Extinction

    The number of UK butterflies threatened by extinction has risen by more than a quarter. The charity Butterfly Conservation announced its new Red List of UK butterfly species Wednesday, and found that 41 species were now threatened and nine percent were Near Threatened.  “Shockingly, half of Britain’s remaining butterfly species are listed as threatened or […]

    Monarch Butterfly Count Up 35% in WWF-Mexico Survey

    Monarch Butterfly Count Up 35% in WWF-Mexico Survey

    After many years of plummeting populations of migrating monarch butterflies, a WWF-Mexico survey brings good news: during the 2021-2022 overwintering period, the monarch butterfly presence observed in the forests of Mexico was 35% higher than the previous year. While the butterflies are still vulnerable and require more conservation efforts, the survey gives some hope for […]

    Unofficial Count Shows Hope for Western Monarchs

    Unofficial Count Shows Hope for Western Monarchs

    Last year, the number of western monarch butterflies wintering on the California coast reached a record low, alarming conservationists. But this year, unofficial counts show the iconic insects returning to their winter haunts by the hundreds and thousands. “We are overjoyed that migratory monarch butterflies have not disappeared from the western U.S.,” Xerces Society for […]

    Feral Horses Gallop to the Rescue of Butterflies in Distress

    Feral Horses Gallop to the Rescue of Butterflies in Distress

    By Nanticha Ocharoenchai In the Czech Republic, horses have become the knights in shining armor. A study published in the Journal for Nature Conservation suggests that returning feral horses to grasslands in Podyjí National Park could help boost the numbers of several threatened butterfly species. In 2017, wildlife organizations laid out their plan to introduce […]

    Border Wall Construction Imminent at Most Diverse Butterfly Center in U.S.

    Border Wall Construction Imminent at Most Diverse Butterfly Center in U.S.

    Construction equipment has arrived to build a border wall through the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, a protected habitat for more than 200 species of wild butterflies and other unique wildlife. A planned 5.5 mile section of concrete and steel border wall that is already funded will cut off 70 percent of the 100-acre […]