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Post by Melanie on Nov 3, 2007 10:37:33 GMT
MADEIRA The Madeiran large white has been declared the first butterfly in Europe to be driven into extinction as a result of the impact of mankind.
Conservationists have spent 15 years combing its home territory but have been unable to find it and the butterfly was declared extinct this week at a conference in Laufen, Germany, where experts said that several other species could follow it into oblivion. Caeruleus blues, Polyommatus caeruleus, are already extinct in Europe, although they survive in Iran, and six others are regarded as on the verge of extinction. The Madeiran large white had suffered a terminal decline because of loss of habitat to the construction of new businesses and homes, including holiday homes. Pollution from agricultural fertilisers was also likely to have played a part in killing off the species.
Experts from 31 countries met to share their findings on what is happening to Europe’s butterfly populations and what can be done to save them. Butterflies are regarded as important indicators of the health of the environment and their population movements can provide important clues to changes brought about by factors such as global warming.
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Post by Melanie on Nov 3, 2007 11:44:13 GMT
Latin name: Pieris brassicae wollastoni (formerly Pieris wollastoni)
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Post by another specialist on Nov 4, 2007 15:39:25 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Nov 4, 2007 16:16:03 GMT
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Post by Melanie on Nov 6, 2007 17:56:45 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Nov 6, 2007 18:03:20 GMT
Thanks Melanie for uploading the image from the PDF file I found. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2007 22:12:05 GMT
Hi !
Are You sure that these pictures show the mentioned subspecies ?
"Pictures present Large White (Pieris brassicae)"
Doesn't that mean the pictures show a different form ?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2007 22:16:09 GMT
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Post by another specialist on Nov 7, 2007 7:23:03 GMT
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Post by Peter on Nov 11, 2007 18:36:09 GMT
Sad, very sad. It has been said that it is the first European butterfly to become extinct.
In the Netherlands another extinct butterfly subspecies is/was recognized: Maculinea alcon arenaria. The taxonomic status of this subspecies is still unclear. The international opinion is that the Alcon Blue doesn't have any subspecies. In 2004 (and before) this endemic Dutch subspecies was listed on the Dutch Red list as Globally Extinct, now because of this taxonomic uncertainty it might be removed from the next updated list. It states that research on this is needed and that it might be identical to Maculinea rebeli, which than would have the status as 'Disappeared from the Netherlands'.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2007 18:40:58 GMT
It has been said that it is the first European butterfly to become extinct. ... another one is the Large Copper (Lycaena dispar dispar), I think those journalists should do a bit more research .... |
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Post by another specialist on Nov 12, 2007 10:47:13 GMT
I agree with you Noisi.
Really you can't always believe in what you read on the net.
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Post by Peter on Nov 18, 2007 11:34:33 GMT
I've found a blog post (6 November 2007) on this butterfly. But it is in Portuguese.... ilhadamadeira.weblog.com.pt/arquivo/255904.htmlIf i've translated it well: Conservation status: In times they were abbundant, but now extinct probably since mid 1980s. The last specimens have been observed in May 1977 in Encumeada and in Paul da Serra. Which sounds strange to me as in other places they say that after 1980 it was found to be more widely distributed. And that it recently decreased sharply. Peter |
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Post by another specialist on Nov 18, 2007 12:28:21 GMT
Yes, Peter that does sound very strange. Do we know if this subspecies was just found on Madiera only?
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Post by Peter on Nov 18, 2007 15:35:45 GMT
As far as I know this subspecies was endemic to Madeira. Only found here.
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Post by another specialist on Nov 20, 2007 8:21:41 GMT
Thanks Peter
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Post by Melanie on Dec 8, 2008 10:54:19 GMT
 Pieris wollastoni (first butterfly above left) The butterflies and moths of Teneriffe. By A. E. Holt-White. Ed. by Rashleigh Holt White. Illustrated from the author's drawings. Publication info: London,L. Reeve & co.,1894. Contributed By: Smithsonian Institution Libraries |
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Post by another specialist on Dec 16, 2008 22:07:06 GMT
Trip Report La Gomera 1-8 December 2002 Compiled by Niklas Holmström Butterflies Large White – Pieris brassicae cheiranthi – Kålfjäril As we had seen the subspecies P. b. wollastoni on Madeira three months earlier, we kept an eye out for this good-looking butterfly. Of course, we saw many ’perfect-looking’ big whites, but all of them appeared to be Small Whithes. So, in fact, we didn’t identify any Large White at all. www.seawatching.net/reports/Gomera/LaGomera_2002.pdf |
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Post by Peter on Dec 26, 2008 15:38:03 GMT
Pieris wollastoni (first butterfly above left) The butterflies and moths of Teneriffe. By A. E. Holt-White. Ed. by Rashleigh Holt White. Illustrated from the author's drawings. Publication info: London,L. Reeve & co.,1894. Contributed By: Smithsonian Institution Libraries It is the one in the right (fig 1) with the black wing tips, the one in the left (fig 2) is the underside of the butterfly Pieris cheiranthi.  |
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Post by another specialist on Dec 26, 2008 16:43:27 GMT
Pieris wollastoni (first butterfly above left) The butterflies and moths of Teneriffe. By A. E. Holt-White. Ed. by Rashleigh Holt White. Illustrated from the author's drawings. Publication info: London,L. Reeve & co.,1894. Contributed By: Smithsonian Institution Libraries It is the one in the right (fig 1) with the black wing tips, the one in the left (fig 2) is the underside of the butterfly Pieris cheiranthi.     and source url ia310810.us.archive.org/0/items/butterfliesmoths00holt/butterfliesmoths00holt.pdf |
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