Latest news with #UKButterflyMonitoringScheme
BBC News
25-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Glow-in-the-dark caterpillars spotted using new technique
Two wildlife charities are recruiting volunteers to help spot glow-in-the-dark caterpillars at night using ultraviolet is hoped the technique will make surveying butterflies and moths quicker and reveal secrets about their behaviour and surveys are part of a conservation project covering Bernwood Forest, the River Ray and Otmoor Basin near Oxford.A conservation manager for the Dorset-based Butterfly Conservation, Steven Lofting, said the new method "has the potential to change our understanding of their biology, distribution, abundance and ecology. It's really exciting." Training in this new technique is part of a project led by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT), which has been given £512,182 from The National Lottery Heritage first group of volunteers were trained at the Trust's Finemere Wood nature reserve between Bicester and were looking for caterpillars of the UK's five species of hairstreak black hairstreak is endangered, the brown hairstreak and white-letter hairstreak are both vulnerable, and green hairstreak and purple hairstreak have also declined in abundance and distribution since the 1970s. BBOWT has now applied for a total of £3.6m for the Reconnecting Bernwood, Otmoor and the Ray project, of which Butterfly Conservation is a key scheme involves working with communities, farmers and landowners to restore habitats for threatened species on the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire Coulam, from the trust, said the data gathered by the volunteers would help them "develop projects which hope to increase abundance and range of the hairstreak butterflies through habitat creation and restoration". Butterfly Conservation and BBOWT have surveyed hairstreaks for decades, but the techniques have been slow and the brown hairstreak, both charities rely on volunteers going out in the middle of winter to look for tiny, pinhead-sized eggs on twigs using magnifying Lofting said: "If we can just shine a light in the bushes and these caterpillars suddenly glow at us like an electric lightbulb, it could make it so much easier and quicker to do surveys of these species." Surveys of butterflies are important for conservation because they are known as indicator species, meaning rises and falls in their populations can predict the health of the wider figures from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme revealed 2024 was the fifth worst year for UK butterflies since the scheme began in than half of the UK's butterfly species have populations in long-term decline, a survey has found. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
10-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
New Lenwade tropical house with 400 butterflies opens
A tropical house with 400 butterflies has opened in Bug Parc in Lenwade, was recently expanded to house a variety of species and colours of butterflies in temperatures of 32C (89.6F).A recent survey by the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme showed that 31 out of 59 species have had their numbers fall since 1976 when monitoring French, owner of The Bug Parc, said: "Bees and butterflies are seriously in decline." In 2009, Mr French built his very own 60ft (18m) shed in his back garden to house his growing collection of insects.A year later he bought five acres of land to create The Bug Parc. The attraction already had 15 big zones with more than 200 minibeasts and a butterfly French said the new tropical house, which took six months to build, was a "great addition".He explained temperatures would be kept in the low 30Cs so the "absolutely stunning" insects would not "keel over and die"."When you see some of these butterflies flying around with blues and the reds and oranges, they are not an English species they are stunning beautiful and all tropical," he added. The lifespan of a butterfly is only seven to 14 days and each week Mr French told BBC Radio Norfolk, he brings in about 100 butterfly chrysalises to help maintain numbers fluctuate annually, the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme said 2024 was the fifth-worst year for butterfly numbers across the country partly due to wet spring weather and a cool French said due to breeding efforts, butterfly parks were so important and he planned to expand even further to tackle bee and butterfly conservation."Bees and butterflies are seriously in decline and we are hoping to address that next year by the next thing we are going to build which is to help our bees and butterflies in the UK." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
We know next to nothing about 99 per cent of the world's insects: Here's why that's a problem
Despite our outsized impact on the planet, humans are not the dominant species. For every person on Earth, there are approximately 1.4 billion insects. All together, they would weigh 70 times more than the total human population. While insects are by far the most numerous and widespread class in the animal kingdom, woefully little is known about them. Since they're essential to food production, the regularly reported decline in key species is a cause of concern. But does it really spell 'insectageddon'? According to a study led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and ZSL (Zoological Society of London), we just don't know. According to the study, there are about a million known insect species around the world. Of these, just 12,100 species have been assessed under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Of those that have been assessed, 20 per cent are considered threatened. But given that less than one per cent of the species have been assessed, the study rightfully asks, 'What about the other 99 per cent?' Little monitoring of insect species goes on outside of North America and Europe. In fact, the researchers say there is very little known about insects in parts of Asia and South America, and virtually no data at all for species in Africa. This week, the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme revealed that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies. It's a similar story across Europe and North America. Dragonflies and bees are also well-studied in these regions. Of the dragonfly family, 16 per cent are thought to be at risk of extinction. Studies have shown a loss of 60 per cent of the bee population since the 1990s. But these are not the only pollinators in our environment, nor are they the only insects that are useful to our existence. 'There is a lot of interest in monitoring charismatic species such as bees and butterflies,' says Dr Rob Cooke, an ecological modeller at UKCEH and joint lead author of the study. 'But few people care about the supposedly unpleasant insects, even though they too provide benefits for us.' Despite the creepy appearance of the humble earwig, they are excellent at pest control - particularly on fruit trees, where they remove aphids without damaging the fruit. The hated cockroach is incredibly important for soil health and decomposition. Yet, they're among the least well-studied of all insects worldwide. Related 'A momentous day for nature': EU approves first-of-its-kind law that could bring back biodiversity 'Red flag': Bug splats on cars reveal a staggering drop in insect numbers over last 20 years Undoubtedly, many insect species are in decline. Loss of habitat, use of pesticides and declining food sources mean it's tough to be an insect in the modern world. But the authors stress that it's essential to increase our understanding of insect populations and how humans affect them, before it's too late. 'We need to find out whether insect declines are widespread and what's causing them,' says Cooke. 'The challenge is like a giant jigsaw puzzle where there are thousands of missing pieces, but we do not have decades to wait to fill these gaps and then act.' The study authors have proposed a new framework for establishing how different drivers impact local species. Through combining multiple data sources, they hope to build up a better picture of the state of global insect health, despite the gaps in the available data. 'With a million described species, it would take too long to figure out what works best for each species,' explains Dr Charlotte Outhwaite of ZSL's Institute of Zoology, joint lead author of the study. 'Instead, we want to find large-scale actions that benefit the most insects. For this, we need to use all the available information we have.' The next step is to begin testing this approach, using a range of research methods to model how different insect species respond to various threats. Extrapolating from their findings will help develop an understanding of the current health of the world's insect population.
BBC News
05-04-2025
- Science
- BBC News
Canterbury butterfly project aims to halt Kent population decline
An academic has teamed up with schools across Kent to try and boost butterfly numbers in the county by creating sanctuaries near Delahunt is working with pupils from schools around Kent to create butterfly sanctuaries and release the insects into the wild later this Canterbury Christ Church University lecturer says the project comes ahead of his new book, The Butterfly Farmer, which aims to help explain change to Delahunt, who is dyslexic and has ADHD, said: "I came from a generation where you didn't necessarily thrive in those classroom spaces." He says he wants to use the scheme to help articulate the core messages of his book in a different UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme reported earlier this month that more than half of species in the country are suffering from long-term decline. The project is currently being run in conjunction with five primary schools – Challock, Blean, St Stephens Infant School, Whitstable Junior School and Lady Joanna Thornhill Primary schools are among the first to set up butterfly sanctuaries in their grounds, with Mr Delahunt looking to fund wildflowers for the said he wanted to gradually expand the project to include new Delahunt, whose background is in trauma nursing, said the project came after the success of his first book, The Wandering Lamb, which talks about difference and said: "I have never felt as healed by a process.""It's an opportunity for me to go back and find children like me."
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
We know next to nothing about 99 per cent of the world's insects: Here's why that's a problem
Despite our outsized impact on the planet, humans are not the dominant species. For every person on Earth, there are approximately 1.4 billion insects. All together, they would weigh 70 times more than the total human population. While insects are by far the most numerous and widespread class in the animal kingdom, woefully little is known about them. Since they're essential to food production, the regularly reported decline in key species is a cause of concern. But does it really spell 'insectageddon'? According to a study led by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and ZSL (Zoological Society of London), we just don't know. According to the study, there are about a million known insect species around the world. Of these, just 12,100 species have been assessed under the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Of those that have been assessed, 20 per cent are considered threatened. But given that less than one per cent of the species have been assessed, the study rightfully asks, 'What about the other 99 per cent?' Little monitoring of insect species goes on outside of North America and Europe. In fact, the researchers say there is very little known about insects in parts of Asia and South America, and virtually no data at all for species in Africa. This week, the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme revealed that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies. It's a similar story across Europe and North America. Dragonflies and bees are also well-studied in these regions. Of the dragonfly family, 16 per cent are thought to be at risk of extinction. Studies have shown a loss of 60 per cent of the bee population since the 1990s. But these are not the only pollinators in our environment, nor are they the only insects that are useful to our existence. 'There is a lot of interest in monitoring charismatic species such as bees and butterflies,' says Dr Rob Cooke, an ecological modeller at UKCEH and joint lead author of the study. 'But few people care about the supposedly unpleasant insects, even though they too provide benefits for us.' Despite the creepy appearance of the humble earwig, they are excellent at pest control - particularly on fruit trees, where they remove aphids without damaging the fruit. The hated cockroach is incredibly important for soil health and decomposition. Yet, they're among the least well-studied of all insects worldwide. Related 'A momentous day for nature': EU approves first-of-its-kind law that could bring back biodiversity 'Red flag': Bug splats on cars reveal a staggering drop in insect numbers over last 20 years Undoubtedly, many insect species are in decline. Loss of habitat, use of pesticides and declining food sources mean it's tough to be an insect in the modern world. But the authors stress that it's essential to increase our understanding of insect populations and how humans affect them, before it's too late. 'We need to find out whether insect declines are widespread and what's causing them,' says Cooke. 'The challenge is like a giant jigsaw puzzle where there are thousands of missing pieces, but we do not have decades to wait to fill these gaps and then act.' The study authors have proposed a new framework for establishing how different drivers impact local species. Through combining multiple data sources, they hope to build up a better picture of the state of global insect health, despite the gaps in the available data. 'With a million described species, it would take too long to figure out what works best for each species,' explains Dr Charlotte Outhwaite of ZSL's Institute of Zoology, joint lead author of the study. 'Instead, we want to find large-scale actions that benefit the most insects. For this, we need to use all the available information we have.' The next step is to begin testing this approach, using a range of research methods to model how different insect species respond to various threats. Extrapolating from their findings will help develop an understanding of the current health of the world's insect population.
