Will we wake up in a world without butterflies? This should be worrying
Mowing a meadow in June is not a problem for some birds, and some birds that like low vegetation will even benefit from it, because it will be easier for them to find food. But for many species of butterflies, such mowing of a meadow (or lawn) is a disaster. If the mowing takes place in a sensitive phase of caterpillar development, we may be dealing with the loss of an entire generation, explains Dr. hab. Marcin Sielezniew, entomologist, professor at the University of Bialystok, co-founder of the Society for the Protection of Butterflies.
Krystyna Romanowska: I hear news about the lack of butterflies from everywhere. “Where have the butterflies gone? After cutting down all the trees and shrubs, the starlings and sparrows also disappeared,” writes a resident of Stara Miłosna on social media. “There are no butterflies. It’s not under the blocks, it’s been here for a long time, but it’s not in the garden either, and I still remember that in 2019 I could count new species every day. There is no place where they have always been” – a resident of Klucze regrets. And he adds: “I have the impression that the butterflies have passed their tipping point.” Could it be true?
Dr. hab. Marcin Sielezniew: From my friends professionally dealing with butterflies and from my own observations, and I live on the edge of the Knyszyn Forest, I have not heard any disturbing news about the lack of butterflies. But really, it can look different in different places. Drought may have contributed to the decline in the butterfly population in places. If we add to this the unfortunate mowing of lawns, city dwellers may actually get the impression that there are fewer butterflies or even that there are none at all.
