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Do standard weather conditions and flower density affect the results of butterfly monitoring schemes? A field test in three bio-geographic regions in Europe

Lang, Andreas ; Kallhardt, Franz ; Lee, Marina S. ; Loos, Jacqueline ; Molander, Mikael A. LU ; Pettersson, Lars B. LU orcid ; Rákosy, László ; Stefanescu, Constantí and Antoine, Messéan (2025) In Journal of Insect Conservation 29(3).
Abstract

Butterflies and moths have often been suggested as suitable indicators for monitoring environmental effects on biodiversity, land use changes and management practices, and many butterfly monitoring schemes are established and run in Europe. In these monitoring programmes, the field counts are only carried out when certain, standard weather conditions considered favourable for butterflies are met. Here, we tested if the prescribed standard weather conditions are suitable across bio-geographic regions, or if the given variance of the weather conditions would still cause effects on monitoring results of butterflies. In addition, we examined how flower density alongside butterfly transects affected the recorded abundance and species number.... (More)

Butterflies and moths have often been suggested as suitable indicators for monitoring environmental effects on biodiversity, land use changes and management practices, and many butterfly monitoring schemes are established and run in Europe. In these monitoring programmes, the field counts are only carried out when certain, standard weather conditions considered favourable for butterflies are met. Here, we tested if the prescribed standard weather conditions are suitable across bio-geographic regions, or if the given variance of the weather conditions would still cause effects on monitoring results of butterflies. In addition, we examined how flower density alongside butterfly transects affected the recorded abundance and species number. We operated linear 1-km transect routes in Romania, Spain and Sweden from 2013 to 2015, and recorded butterflies and burnet moths (Papilionoidea, Zygaenidae). The transects were walked back and forth four times per season, and replicated yearly. The following parameters were measured and analysed for their effect on butterfly abundance and species number: country, date and time, temperature, wind speed, sunshine percentage and flower density. In general, weather conditions within the specified range did not cause high variance in recorded butterfly abundance and species richness. In contrast, flower density had a strong impact on butterfly abundance in Sweden and Spain, but less so in Romania. In conclusion, the standard weather conditions imposed and applied in European butterfly monitoring schemes appeared appropriate, for three different bio-geographical and climatic regions across Europe. However, flower density was identified as an important factor affecting butterfly abundance, and is suggested to be routinely recorded as a variable in butterfly monitoring schemes.

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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Flower density, Guidelines, Lepidoptera, Monitoring, Variance, Weather
in
Journal of Insect Conservation
volume
29
issue
3
article number
47
publisher
Springer Nature
external identifiers
  • scopus:105007525016
ISSN
1366-638X
DOI
10.1007/s10841-025-00680-w
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.
id
85e95539-9fff-4aac-ab0f-a894cb4eac35
date added to LUP
2025-06-26 08:21:06
date last changed
2025-07-02 14:22:00
@article{85e95539-9fff-4aac-ab0f-a894cb4eac35,
  abstract     = {{<p>Butterflies and moths have often been suggested as suitable indicators for monitoring environmental effects on biodiversity, land use changes and management practices, and many butterfly monitoring schemes are established and run in Europe. In these monitoring programmes, the field counts are only carried out when certain, standard weather conditions considered favourable for butterflies are met. Here, we tested if the prescribed standard weather conditions are suitable across bio-geographic regions, or if the given variance of the weather conditions would still cause effects on monitoring results of butterflies. In addition, we examined how flower density alongside butterfly transects affected the recorded abundance and species number. We operated linear 1-km transect routes in Romania, Spain and Sweden from 2013 to 2015, and recorded butterflies and burnet moths (Papilionoidea, Zygaenidae). The transects were walked back and forth four times per season, and replicated yearly. The following parameters were measured and analysed for their effect on butterfly abundance and species number: country, date and time, temperature, wind speed, sunshine percentage and flower density. In general, weather conditions within the specified range did not cause high variance in recorded butterfly abundance and species richness. In contrast, flower density had a strong impact on butterfly abundance in Sweden and Spain, but less so in Romania. In conclusion, the standard weather conditions imposed and applied in European butterfly monitoring schemes appeared appropriate, for three different bio-geographical and climatic regions across Europe. However, flower density was identified as an important factor affecting butterfly abundance, and is suggested to be routinely recorded as a variable in butterfly monitoring schemes.</p>}},
  author       = {{Lang, Andreas and Kallhardt, Franz and Lee, Marina S. and Loos, Jacqueline and Molander, Mikael A. and Pettersson, Lars B. and Rákosy, László and Stefanescu, Constantí and Antoine, Messéan}},
  issn         = {{1366-638X}},
  keywords     = {{Flower density; Guidelines; Lepidoptera; Monitoring; Variance; Weather}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{3}},
  publisher    = {{Springer Nature}},
  series       = {{Journal of Insect Conservation}},
  title        = {{Do standard weather conditions and flower density affect the results of butterfly monitoring schemes? A field test in three bio-geographic regions in Europe}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10841-025-00680-w}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10841-025-00680-w}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}