Butterfly Education and Awareness Day (BEAD)

Butterflies. Such beautiful creatures are also fascinating and very important members of the insect kingdom. This is ultimately what inspired a whole day each year being dedicated to learning more about them, the fundamental role they have in our ecosystems, their conservation and ultimately their significance in the world and why they need to be protected. It was also launched to raise awareness of declining butterfly populations and the endangerment of specific butterfly species, and to underscore the need to conserve this insect group.

Some fun and interesting facts about butterflies…

How much do you know about butterflies? If you would like to learn a bit more about this fascinating member of the insect kingdom, keep reading on for some fun facts about them below.

• Butterflies can taste through their feet.
• A butterfly’s lifecycle consists of four different phases: Egg, Larva, Pupa and Adult.
• There are over 18,000 named species of butterflies.
• Butterflies are cold-blooded and cannot fly in cold temperatures and climates below ten degrees.
• Their skeleton is outside of their bodies!
• The word ‘Butterfly’ emerged from ‘Butter-coloured fly.’
• Some butterfly species in the UK have gone extinct.

Importance of Butterfly Conservation…

Various butterfly species have experienced population declines over the past 150 years, mainly due to significant environmental shifts and climate change. Butterfly Education and Awareness Day ultimately emphasises and promotes the significance of their conservation and their intrinsic value worldwide and as part of Life on Earth. Their value goes far beyond the intrinsic. Butterflies have a positive environmental impact within many ecosystems, including natural pest control and pollination.

Usually, a wealth of butterflies within a specific environment is a strong indicator of a healthy ecosystem. They are also widely used by scientists as model organisms to measure and estimate habitat degradation and climate change. They also hold significant economic value in the modern world. People from around the world as fascinated by their beauty, biodiversity and contribution within various ecosystems and travel all over the globe to study them or join eco tours which generate a valuable source of income for many countries throughout the world.

How to get involved…

• Read and learn more about butterflies: Which you have already done by reading through this blog post! Nevertheless, there is still much to learn about butterflies with regards to their habitats, life cycle stages and their species as a whole.
• Go to Butterfly Gardens and Nature Reserves: Pay a visit to one of these gardens or reserves to observe butterflies in their natural habitats and learn more about them first-hand.
• Get involved with Citizen Science Projects or volunteer with Butterfly Conservation Charities: These organisations and movements contribute significantly to the conservation of butterfly populations by tracking and monitoring butterfly migrations and movement for essential research purposes, preserving and safeguarding their natural habits and also to promote awareness of the importance of butterfly conservation on a global scale.

Library Recommendations…

If you would like to learn more about butterflies and butterfly conservation, our libraries have a wealth of material on these fascinating insects which you can find in our LibrarySearch catalogue.

• Butterflies, Vane-Wright, R. I. (Richard I.) 2003. Available in Sighthill Campus Library Main Stock.
• The butterflies of Scotland: A Natural History. Thomson, George, 1943-. C1980. Available in Sighthill Campus Library Main Stock.
• Butterflies and moths in Britain and Europe. Carter, David. 1982. Available in Sighthill Campus Library Main Stock.

By Rachel Downie

 Photo by Krzysztof Niewolny unspash

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