Ecological Values of Butterflies

Important members of the food chain
Butterflies are primary consumers in the food chain. The larvae feed on leaves while the adults sip nectar. Different from other primary consumers, butterflies and plants are mutually dependent. When butterflies visit the various flowers, they help propagate pollens for the plants with the pollens attached on their body.

Butterflies are also food of many animals (such as birds, lizards, spiders, frogs and dragonflies). If butterfly population decreases, the number of animals preying on butterflies will also reduce and affect the whole food chain eventually.

Painted Jezebel (Delias hyparete) helps pollination of plants

A spider preying on a butterfly

Ecological Indicators
As butterfly larvae are very selective in their food choice, diversity of plant species directly affects the number and population of butterfly species. If environment is damaged, butterflies are the first organisms to be affected. From the change of butterfly species and their number, we can assess the ecological value of a site. Therefore, butterflies are important “ecological indicators”.

Urban development, logging and widespread use of chemical pesticides will damage the habitats of butterflies, drastically reducing their population. In addition, the beautiful appearance of butterflies makes them the target of catching. Large number of butterflies are made into specimens and sold for profit, causing them to disappear almost completely.