Conservation Biology of Lycaenidae (Butterflies) - IUCN

Butterflies have long been accorded 'special' status by many
people who do not like insects. Ever since the ancient Greeks
employed the same word (psyche) for 'soul' and 'butterfly', an
aura of spiritual or aesthetic appreciation has enhanced their
generally charismatic popularity, so that people to whom 'the
only good insect is a dead insect' accept readily that butterflies
merit conservation (New 1991). Perhaps the most widely
appreciated butterflies are the swallowtails, birdwings and their
allies (Papilionidae), which have recently received substantial
conservation impetus through production of a global survey
(Collins and Morris 1985) and a Swallowtail Action Plan (New
and Collins 1991) based on this, and produced under the
auspices of the IUCN Species Survival Commission's
Lepidoptera Specialist Group.
Many other butterflies are much less well known than the
swallowtails, and such a comprehensive appraisal of them
would be difficult or impossible to achieve. But, especially in
north temperate regions of the world, very substantial
conservation effort has been directed to members of the largest
family of butterflies, the Lycaenidae – the blues, coppers,
hairstreaks, metalmarks and related forms. In 1989, I suggested
that the Lepidoptera Specialist Group should seek to complement
the swallowtail studies by an appraisal of the Lycaenidae, to
'round out' the emerging picture of butterfly conservation by
gathering together some of the data on this family. Lycaenidae
exemplify a wide spectrum of concerns: populations are often
extremely localised with colonies occupying a few hectares or
less; many are associated with early successional stages of
vegetation in grasslands or herb associations; and many
participate in subtle ecological associations with ants or (more
rarely) Homoptera.
Preface
iv
A number of species or subspecies of the Lycaenidae have
been the targets of major conservation campaigns which have
been vitally important in raising public awareness of insect
conservation in areas where swallowtails are scarce, and it is no
exaggeration to claim that they have been the most important
butterfly family in fostering conservation concern in temperate
regions.
This is not a Red Data Book but, rather, an introduction to
the conservation biology of the Lycaenidae. It emphasises the
very different knowledge base available for lycaenids compared
with the swallowtails, and should be a salutary warning against
feelings of complacency that butterflies are well known!
It draws on the expertise of many experienced practitioners
of butterfly conservation, and on the large literature of lycaenid
biology. The account consists of three sections. The first is a
brief general introduction to the Lycaenidae and their place in
butterfly conservation. The second is a series of regional
overviews of lycaenids for several parts of the world where
interest and knowledge has been sufficient to prepare such an
essay; and the third is a series of selected case-histories or
species accounts which range from the well known to the novel.
This section is not in any sense encyclopedic, but provides a
tentative basis for direction and for future synthesis and
development of more general conservation strategies.
References
COLLINS, N.M. and MORRIS, M.G. 1985. Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies
of the World. The IUCN Red Data Book, IUCN, Gland and Cambridge.
NEW,T.R. 1991. Butterfly Conservation. Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
NEW, T.R. and COLLINS, N.M. 1991. Swallowtail Butterflies. An Action
Plan for their Conservation. IUCN, Gland.