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Butterflies (Lepidoptera)

beautiful butterfly in yellow and orange with brown circles and cream spots inside. Pollinating on a purple flower with a dark green b;urry background
Photo by Erik Karits

Butterflies, with their many different colours and appearances, are beautiful to look at and fulfil several important functions in nature for our ecosystems and the environment. Butterflies are important pollinators that contribute to maintaining a natural balance by eating plants and insects.

Butterflies fulfil functions in nature during all their life stages. Both adults and larvae are affected by pesticides, and they are susceptible to habitat changes and react quickly to climate change. Butterflies are, therefore, often used as indicators to investigate conditions in nature, such as changes in local environments and ecosystems.

Key Functions

● Pollination

● Food for other animals

● Indicators for climate change / state of the environment / state of nature – bioindicators

Threat

● Pesticides

● Changes in habitat

● Loss of natural environment

Common species

There are around 150,000 butterfly species worldwide, and more than 2800 species live in Sweden [3].

Blue butterfly on a late summer day with green grass, white flowers and a bit of sun rays through the field
Photo by Damien Dan

Some species to discover in nature:

● Common Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)
Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) – Common Brimstone “”””

● Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Butterfly Conservation – Painted Lady Butterfly “”””

● Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)
Inaturalist – Red Admiral – vanessa atalanta “”””

● Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)
The Wildlife Trust – Small Tortoiseshell Butterfly “”””

● Peacock butterfly (Anglais io)
The Butterfly Conservation – Peacock Butterfly “”””

● Large cabbage white (Pieris brassicae)
iNaturalist – Large Cabbage White Butterfly “”””

● Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
Wildlife Trust – Orange Tip Butterfly “”””

● Common Blue (Polyommatus icarus)
The Butterfly Conservation – Common Blue Butterfly “”””

● Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina)
Wildlife Trust – Meadow Brown Butterfly “”””

● Small Copper (Lycaena phlaeas)
Wildlife Trust – Small Copper Butterfly “”””

Want to know more:  Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)- Global Butterfly Information System “”””

Or help researchers to report butterflies: Butterfly Conservation.org “”””

Sources

  1. Ssciencing.com – What do Butterflies do for the Environment? 
  2. Tailandfur.com – Why Are Butterflies Important for the Environment? 
  3. Naturhistoriske Riksmuseet – Butterflies 
  4. Environment.sa.gov.au – Goodliving – Why butterflies are beneficial to the environment 
  5. Nature.com – Butterflies and moths 
  6. Illvet.se – Butterflies in Sweden 

May 2022, TÄNKOM | Revised January 2024 RETHINK