Lepidopterology - The Study of Butterflies

We have been fascinated by butterflies for ever, the ancient Egyptians used images of the brightly coloured varieties as emblems on architecture and jewelry.


An Aurelian is an archaic word for lepidopterist, one who is interested in butterflies. The term is derived from aurelia, meaning chrysalis, and relates to the golden colour a butterfly may attain just before the it emerges; the Latin word for gold is aurum.


Aurelians would meet in coffee houses in the 1700's, they would discuss their findings from their own studies and from this classification of the different species commenced.





They really are spectacular and extremely beautiful. However the numbers of butterflies are in decline. Habitats are being destroyed through farming or expanding towns and cities. Climate change is also a major factor in the changing habits of butterflies today.

Almost three quarters of UK butterfly species have decreased in population during the last decade, a major scientific report reveals. Butterfly Conservation and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) findings show 72% of species declined in abundance over ten years and distributions of 54% of butterflies fell, many sharply. The results, from The State of the UK's Butterflies 2011 Report, provide further evidence that the European Union target to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010 was not met.

The report also reveals that intensive conservation efforts are turning around the fortunes of some of the UK's most endangered butterflies. The previously extinct Large Blue showed increases in population and range and the Heath Fritillary has been brought back from the brink of extinction.

But ongoing declines have left the High Brown Fritillary and the Duke of Burgundy facing the very real threat of becoming extinct in the UK unless they benefit from further conservation work.
The report shows for the first time that the total number of common and widespread species fell by almost a quarter in 10 years, indicating underlying problems with the UK's environment.

Another factor that is a cause for concern is that it is more financially viable to collect butterflies than farm in some countries. In Tanzania farmers will earn up to 2 dollars a day, yet the butterfly collectors can earn up 20,000 dollars a year. Increasingly many people who live in the rural mountains are turning their backs on farming to sell rare species in pupae form that they collect. They sell to butterfly farms in more developed countries who then rear the butterflies to then sell to the public. Not only is this an issue for biodiversity it is a human issue too that we see around the word time and time again. If the farmers were able to sell their products using Fairtrade philosophies then maybe they wouldn't need to go collecting the butterflies and then these amazing creatures would live exactly where they should - in the wild.

An example of one of my Buddhist Butterflies, it is made from florists wire and tissue paper. I glue the paper onto a wire frame, then when the shape is dry I paint with ink. The overall effect gives a translucent quality to the finished piece. I then mount the butterfly to card and frame. The best bit is that no actual butterflies have been harmed or had to die to create this.