an alert study on the slow disappearance of butterflies

Butterflies, pollinators, are infallible indicators of biodiversity. For 20 years, they have been disappearing in France. The Office for Insects and Their Environment has listed species that have not been seen for 20 years. All departments are affected. In Paris and in the Hauts-de-Seine, nearly half of the species have disappeared. Two of them are particularly in decline: Hermitte, absent from 46 departments it colonized 20 years ago, and Mélibée, absent from 27 departments.

However, there are solutions. “Put a stop to the disappearance of habitats, dry lawns, wetlands, all this kind of very special environment (…) and then the other emergency is to drastically reduce the use of pesticides“, explains Samuel Jolivet, from the Office for insects and their environment. Some municipalities have understood this well, such as Montreuil, in Seine-Saint-Denis. A plot of 4,000 m2 has not been mown for several years. A variety of herbs and flowers flourish here, which is a boon for butterflies, since each species feeds on a specific plant.