The Danube Clouded Yellow, saving an endangered butterfly: 2022 - video on YouTube

The  Danube Clouded Yellow Colias myrmidone is one of Europe’s most threatened butterflies. Once widespread in Europe from Germany eastwards into Russia, the butterfly has been lost from many of its former haunts and in Europe is now confined to a few colonies in Poland and more widely at a few locations in Romania.

European Butterflies Group has concentrated resources on the Danube Clouded Yellow over several years ; we have surveyed for the species in Romania, Belarus and searched for it (although without success) in Bulgaria. 

European Butterflies Group’s work on Danube Clouded Yellow has been a collaboration with Matthias Dolek and Jacqueline Loos from Germany as well as with Romanian lepidopterists.

In 2015 we carried out extensive surveys in 2 principal areas in Transylvania and in the edge of the northern Carpathians. Following this, our data was used by the Romanian government to schedule some of the sites as Sites of Community Interest (Natura 2000 sites) which ideally should give some form of protection of the habitat. Since that time we have funded further research, contributed to a workshop in Transylvania, visited Romania again and in 2023 we carried out 2 further survey trips and two more are planned for 2024.

This short film illustrates the beauty and habitat preferences of the Danube Clouded Yellow and also features some of our collaborators. You can watch the film on YouTube here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asMQ4g4DRug

If you are interested in knowing more about the work of European Butterflies Group for this species or would potentially like to join a survey trip please contact Mike Prentice (mikeprentice7@gmail.com) or Martin Davies (mdavies854@btinternet.com).

Request posted December 2023 (updated from October 2017)

Colleagues at Butterfly Conservation Europe (BCE) are working on the first ever European Red List of the macro-moths. Each species needs a photo and whilst they have photos of the British and common European species there is a large number for which they have no photos.

If you think you may be able to help please contact Mike Prentice who can supply a spreadsheet of the species for which photos are needed.

Request posted December 2022

This collective work was coordinated by Pierre-Yves Gourvil and Mathieu Sannier. The atlas covers the administrative area of Aquitaine before it became Nouvelle Aquitaine in 2016. The 5 departments concerned are Dordogne, Gironde, Landes, Lot and Garonne and Pyrénées Atlantiques.The atlas incorporates observations and inventories carried out by amateurs, volunteers and professionals including those of the Conservatoire d'espaces naturels de Nouvelle-Aquitaine and LPO Aquitaine mainly via the Observatoire de la Faune sauvage de Nouvelle-Aquitaine and LPO Aquitaine's 'faune-aquitaine" website. It comprises almost 400,000 records of 158 species for the period 2000 - 2020.

The book starts with an introduction to butterflies, their observation and identification, the history of butterfly studies in Aquitaine, local habitats, butterfly conservation in Aquitaine and finally the methodology and results of the atlas project.

The monographs (include English names) take up the vast majority of the book. They focus on each species' caterpillar host plants, ecology, biology, distribution, flight period, together with an historical analysis, species status, threats and conservation information. Each monograph is illustrated with photos, a distribution map and flight period graph.
The atlas is co-edited by the scientific publications of the MNHN (National Museum of Natural History)

Price 35€ plus p+p. Paperback, 464 pages. Text in French.

For more information and to order see here:
https://leclub-biotope.com/en/naturalist-bookstore/1742-atlas-des-papillons-de-jour-d-aquitaine

Many thanks to European Butterflies Group members who have contributed to this Atlas.

Post updated November 2022

Following on from the request of February 2016 from our partner Marie-Cécile Ruiz of the Corsican Environment Office (OEC-OCIC) for information and records on the distribution of Corsican Lepidoptera, we are pleased to say that the IUCN Regional Red List was published in 2017, and can be consulted here

This book is a photographic guide to the butterflies, burnet and forester moths of France.

The book has two main sections, the identification keys and the species monographs.
297 species are described in the book, with images of both upper and undersides of all male and female species to be found in mainland France.

Three species identification keys are proposed, a new "classic" determination key using both the upper and underside. A second key, using the upper side and a third key using the underside, aim to show how far one can progress with an identification when there is just a photograph of the species with the wings either open or closed.


The monographs are the main section of the book, each monograph comprises the scientific name and family, French and English vernacular names, a reference to the main identification key, 5 photographs, with a succinct text of the main id criteria which are also indicated on the photos, a small distribution map for France, flight period, the number of generations and the species status where applicable.

The book is a result of a collective involvement of more than 100 participants. Format 15 x 21cm, 512 pages, price 35€ plus postage, text in French.

For more information, to view sample pages and to order a copy of the book, please consult the Gard Nature website, see here:  http://gard-nature.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022_commande_papillons_de_france.pdf

Many thanks to EBG members who have participated in this project. 

Request updated November 2022

A request from the University of Bern, Switzerland,  Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Insect Migration and Ecology Lab. for Red Admiral sightings.

We have been contacted by Marco Thoma from the University, requesting records for this species, to help with the study of Red Admiral migration across Europe. Records can be submitted via the country portal, details can be found on the link below, e.g. Butterfly Conservation in the UK.

Alternatively by a mobile app such as 'NaturaList', or 'ObsMapp' for Android, or 'iObs' for iPhone.

Read more here:
https://insectmigration.wordpress.com/red-admiral-migration/

News Release (PDF)

Request posted April 2017