Exposed butterfly last seen in Västmanland - risks being classified as extinct

The Veronika net butterfly is one of the eight butterfly species that disappeared from Västmanland.

The other Apollo butterfly, ash net butterfly, brown grass butterfly, narrow-breasted bastard swarmer, turquoise bluewing, violet goldwing and meadow net butterfly have not been seen in the region for a long time.

As meadows open up and flower landscapes disappear, it becomes difficult for the butterflies and other insects to survive.

- We have to be very vigilant when the floral wealth disappears in the landscape.

It is not enough to plant flowers in your garden.

It is also important that there are flowers all around the landscape.

This is how the landscape should be opened up and attract the butterflies

One of the measures the county administration uses to create butterfly-friendly places are the so-called nature conservation agreements.

They enter into agreements with landowners who receive money to keep parts of their lands open and butterfly-friendly.

For example, they agree that the landowner should not mass produce trees on the site.

The County Administrative Board can also obtain permission to work on the site.

It could be about creating a hay meadow where the butterflies thrive.

- This means that once a year, in July or August, you cut the grass and let it lie.

Then you remove the cut-off remains and when you do that, it usually becomes a very flower-rich place and butterflies and other insects thrive better, explains Karin Sandberg.

Warning bell  

Karin points out that the extinction of species is unfortunately a trend and even if people generally do not notice the disappearance of species, in the long run they can lead to collapsed ecosystems that threaten the food supply and access to clean water.

- It is important to think that it is not just elsewhere that species die out.

It is easy to think that things are going badly for the tigers in Asia or the rainforests in South America, but the same thing happens here in Sweden, but with other species.

I don't think everyone has understood it, but the situation is urgent even in Sweden.