A number of butterfly species have become rarer in Germany, according to experts. Of 82 observable species, 36 are becoming increasingly rare, as reported by the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ). In 2022, for example, the land carder was still listed among the 20 most common species, but a year later it was no longer in the table at all. Observations of the peacock butterfly had also halved within a year. Other endangered species include the chimney sweep, the silver-green blue and the large cabbage white.
According to the data, 18 species are coping with the increasingly warmer climate and are able to reproduce, such as the aurora butterfly. However, climate change is clearly harming most species, it said. Butterflies live mainly on pastures and meadows. A decline in the species is an indication of less than ideal conditions in their habitat, the experts emphasized.
Anniversary celebration in Leipzig with international guests
For two decades, the UFZ's "Butterfly Monitoring Germany" project has been observing the population development of butterflies. Around 200 butterfly experts from Germany and abroad will be discussing the developments at the anniversary celebrations this Saturday in Leipzig.
Thousands of volunteers
The long-term observation is made possible by the efforts of 6,000 volunteers. Each participant, be it a school class or a pensioner, receives special instructions and a fixed observation route. In recent years, the volunteers have regularly counted butterflies from April to September. In 20 years, almost 4.4 million butterflies have been counted and 55,000 kilometers have been covered.
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