If ever there was a reason to keep on top of the weeds and invasive plants in your garden, this is it: Australia’s largest butterfly, the Cairns birdwing, is threatened by two types of flowering plants, which give off similar signals to the plants they need to survive.
Scientists have identified the top 26 Australian butterfly species and subspecies at greatest risk of extinction.
Without sufficient data, scientists can’t identify population collapses or list insects under national species protection legislation, but a new citizen science project based on butterflies may help.
They say beauty is within, but for the dead leaf butterfly, there’s nothing figurative about it.
John Landy’s butterfly collection isn’t just valuable for the beautiful specimens it contains, but also for the insights the collection gives into the effects of climate change on Australian butterfly populations.
Aussie animals don’t often sport shades of blue, but when they do it’s usually due to some kind of trickery.
Delicate and beautiful, butterflies are also intrepid travellers, making impressive journeys across the globe.
The blue tiger (top) and clearwing swallowtail are just two of the 40-plus butterfly species to be found on the South Cumberland Islands off the coast of Queensland.