- Both species have existed in Östergötland until quite recently.
Kronärtsblåvinge as late as five, six years ago, after that only in Kalmar and last year it was not found there either, says Tommy Karlsson, biologist at the County Administrative Board.
Despite several years of work with concrete measures for the ten butterflies in Sweden that are covered by action programs for endangered species and habitats, they are highly endangered.
Two species, the artichoke bluebird and the veronica net butterfly, seem to have completely disappeared.
Veronica net butterfly was last seen in Östergötland in 2004.
- That we may have lost two of our day butterflies in Sweden is a tragic news to convey.
It reflects the seriousness of our endangered species and the biological diversity in Sweden, says Claes Svedlindh, head of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency's nature department.
Lost habitats
The reason for the decline of the species is the loss of habitats.
The natural meadows and pastures that house the richest butterfly fauna have decreased dramatically - the butterfly groups are shrinking and isolated from each other, the authors of the report say.
And the very dry summer of 2018 exacerbated the already strained situation for some butterfly species.
- At the same time, we must continue and strengthen the work so as not to risk losing more species.
The weak but still positive trends that the report shows for some of the species give hope, says Claes Svedlindh.
The report also presents some examples of good results from cooperation with landowners, non-profit organizations, municipalities, companies and authorities to save these endangered butterflies.
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How an endangered butterfly will be rescued Photo: Tommy Karlsson The County Administrative Board of Östergötland