Experts are urging British citizens to participate in the Big Butterfly Count because time is running out to conserve some species.
Members of the public are assisting in the completion of one of the world’s largest citizen bug surveys, and some have even contributed to the discovery of new species.
More than two-fifths of British butterflies are threatened with extinction due to climate change, pollution, and habitat loss, according to recent research from the nonprofit organization Butterfly Conservation.
The charity has warned that not just endangered species are threatened.
The most recent evaluation reveals a 26 percent increase in the number of species deemed to be in danger of extinction, bringing the total to 50 percent of all butterfly species in Britain.
The census focuses on common butterflies, such as the little tortoiseshell, which has declined by 79 percent since 1976 and was formerly abundant in gardens across the country.
According to Butterfly Conservation, species can be brought back from the brink of extinction with the proper information and conservation efforts.
According to experts, the annual Big Butterfly Count can serve as an “early warning system” to help scientists understand how environmental changes influence butterflies and collect data from otherwise unrecorded locations.
They stated that spending time in outdoors to observe butterflies as part of the count can be beneficial for mental health.
To participate in the study, individuals need only spend 15 minutes outside, counting the number and species of butterflies and day-flying moths they observe and entering their data on the Big Butterfly Count website or mobile app.
Last year’s butterfly count yielded a record-breaking 150,000 reports of sightings, all based on people taking 15 minutes to walk outside, relax, and record the numerous species of butterflies they observe.
However, the number of insects reported, an average of nine per person, was the lowest since the citizen insect survey began 13 years ago.
In 2022, Butterfly Conservation wants to determine if this tendency will continue.
Dr. Zoe Randle, senior surveys officer at Butterfly Conservation, stated, “Thanks to the wonderful British public, who participate in their thousands, the Big Butterfly Count is the largest natural history citizen science project involving insects and provides us with a valuable snapshot of what is happening to butterflies across the entire United Kingdom.
“It can serve as an early-warning system, informing us of the effects of various environmental changes on insects, and allowing us to collect critical data from locations that would otherwise go unrecorded.”
Dr. Randle stated, “This year, we need the public’s assistance to determine where our butterflies are and what we must do to conserve them.”
Species are being discovered in new regions, while others are becoming increasingly rare in the United Kingdom.
The Jersey tiger, a beautiful moth that flies both during the day and at night, appears for the first time in this year’s Big Butterfly Count identification chart.
According to research, the species has become well-established throughout the southern coast of England, but it is migrating northward and is now found in increasing numbers in London.
Meanwhile, in 2019, the huge blue butterfly was brought to Rodborough Common in Gloucestershire after five years of landscape preparation.
Large blue butterflies are globally endangered, and their larvae lure a certain type of red ant into taking them into their nest as part of their life cycle.
The species was proclaimed extinct in Britain in 1979, but has since been successfully reintroduced from European populations and is presently reproducing in the wild.
To participate in the nationwide Big Butterfly Count, individuals need just spend 15 minutes in a sunny outdoor area counting the species and numbers of butterflies and day-flying moths they observe.
People can learn more and participate in this year’s count by visiting https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/ or by downloading the free Big Butterfly Count app.
