Údaje ze zdrojů, jako je Evropský červený seznam motýlů, ukazují negativní trendy v počtu hmyzu v Evropě, ve skutečnosti více než 30 % taxonů vykazuje regresi. Jedním z nejohroženějších motýlů v Evropě je jasoň červenooký (Parnassius apollo). Jeho početnost se za posledních 25 let snížila o 20 – 50 %.
Cílem tohoto mezinárodního projektu je obnovit populace jasoně červenookého ve 3 funkčních oblastech: v kontinentálním bioregionu Sudety a Bílé Karpaty a posílení rakouské populace v alpském bioregionu.
První svého druhu
V rámci projektu budou vytvořeny 3 další chovné farmy a 3 nové funkční oblasti, které upevní populace v přírodních podmínkách, a také nejméně 38 „nášlapných kamenů“, které zajistí migrační koridory druhů mezi novými lokalitami. Projekt je tedy prvním, který realizuje testovací a pilotní opatření pro další rozvoj populací v bioregionech prostřednictvím:
- Obnovení populací v Polsku a v Česku v kontinentálním bioregionu a posílení rakouské populace v alpském bioregionu
- Vytvoření ucelené metodiky ochrany jasoně červenookého v kontinentálním bioregionu
- Zvýšení ochrany rozmnožovacích a potravních stanovišť jasoně červenookého
- Vytváření ekologických koridorů
- Zvyšování povědomí o ochraně a údržbě stanovišť a druhu
- Posílení zapojení společnosti do ochrany druhu
Let us share a fun highlight from our project:
🌟 𝗨𝟮𝟭 - 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗯𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗹𝘆!
As part of our butterfly monitoring, we tag them and sometimes recapture the same individuals. But this year, one butterfly clearly loved the spotlight!
🦋 Meet U21, a butterfly with a serious flair for fame. While most butterflies land in our nets maybe once or twice, U21 had a different idea. Over the course of two weeks in July, this little superstar flew into our nets over 10 times! 😮
📸 Always ready for a close-up, U21 proved to be a natural in front of the camera. Determined to steal the show, U21 quickly became the star of our project!
#LIFEApollo2020 #LIFEProject #LIFEprogramme #Parnassiuspollo #ApolloButterfly
#MissionButterfly #FollowApollo
The number of dog teams certified by the Conservation Dogs Association (#naturschutzhunde) is steadily growing! Veronika Pfefferkorn-Dellali and her Wolfsspitz Idaios from Salzburg successfully completed their B-certification for tracing the Apollo. Huge congratulations to both of them!
Starting next spring, they will join other human-dog teams in playing a crucial role in monitoring this EU-protected species. As part of the LIFE Apollo2020 project, these teams are trained to locate larvae of Parnassius apollo. After certification, these teams search selected areas in Austria to gather important data on the populations of this rare butterfly, which is strictly protected under the EU`s Fauna-Flora-Habitat Directive (Annex IV).
#LIFEApollo2020 #LIFEprogramme #followapollo #ApolloButterfly #NatureConservation #dogs
Karkonoski Park Narodowy is conducting research on the phytochemical composition of the Apollo butterfly`s host plant—Sedum telephium and Sedum album 🌱.
This research is being carried out in collaboration with the Department of Pharmacy at the Medical University of Wroclaw. The experiment follows the BACI (Before-After-Control-Impact) design and aims to determine the variability of the plant`s metabolic profile and the host plant`s (Sedum) response to feeding by Apollo butterfly larvae🐛.
One aspect of the study involved preparing plant samples using liquid nitrogen for deep freezing (-80°C). These samples were prepared by colleagues from the Cryopreservation Laboratory ❄️.
Key details of the study:
• The experiment includes 60 pots of Sedum: 40 Sedum telephium (30 subjected to feeding, 10 control) and 20 Sedum album (15 subjected to feeding, 5 control) 🌸.
• Plant samples are collected daily for 10 days, totaling 660 plant samples 🌿.
• Fecal samples are collected daily for 10 days, with 45 samples per day, totaling 450 samples 🌾.
• The samples are stored in deep freeze ❄️ and analyzed at the Medical University of Wroclaw 🏫.
#LIFEApollo2020#LIFEprogramme#karkonoskinationalpark #ApolloButterfly #Sedumtelephium #ScientificResearch #NatureConservation #Nature
"Imagine finding yourself on a narrow path high above the ground where one misstep could mean a fall into an abyss." Now imagine you’re not there for an adrenaline rush, but to save one of Europe’s most endangered butterflies, the Parnassius apollo. Sounds wild, right?
But for Jirka, one of the colleagues from our czech partner Jaro, it’s just another day at work. He’s one of their bravest workers, often balancing on ropes high above the ground to ensure that the Apollo butterfly has a place to live. His passion for nature’s mysteries is unmatched, and he shares them in a breathtaking way.
The work isn’t easy. Jirka, along with other dedicated conservationists, faces not only the dangerous terrain but also legal obstacles. "Just getting the necessary paperwork to reintroduce endangered species can take longer than the butterfly’s entire lifespan," he says. The Parnassius apollo, for instance, thrives in high-altitude rocky terrains like those in the Krkonoše Mountains, where it requires specific plants like Sedum to survive.
To restore these fragile creatures, Jirka and his team have to climb cliffs, clear invasive vegetation, and even keep an eye out for snake encounters along the way. Despite these challenges, they’ve successfully released dozens of butterflies back into the wild. Each one is a small victory for biodiversity.
But it`s not just about saving one butterfly species—protecting the Parnassius apollo creates a ripple effect, safeguarding the entire ecosystem around it.
#LIFEapollo2020 #LIFEproject #LIFEprogramme #parnassiusapollo #ApolloButterfly #czechrepublic
