Apollo is back on an international mission! – ECE Conference in France
From 29 June to 3 July 2026, our team took part in the XIII European Congress of Entomology, held in Tours, France. The event brought together more than 1200 participants from Europe and around the world. We’ve had a unique opportunity to exchange experiences, gain new knowledge, and share the progress of our LIFE Apollo2020 project.
At the conference, we presented the results of our project through two oral presentations and a poster presentation.
During the session “Insects Through Time – Museomics”, Tomasz Suchan from the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IGSO PAS) presented “Using museum genomics to guide conservation of the Apollo butterfly in Central Europe”.
The presentation focused on the genetic aspects of the conservation and reintroduction of Parnassius apollo. In the presentation he demonstrated how we can use museum collections to improve our understanding of the butterfly’s genetics. This may help with future reintroduction efforts.
The genetic analyses confirmed the species’ limited dispersal ability. They had also confirmed the suitability of the subspecies selected for reintroduction in Poland and the Czech Republic. Analyses of museum specimens also revealed a small proportion of non-local genetic material. It may indicate that butterflies from other populations were introduced in the past.
At the LIFE Symposium, we presented “Reintroduction of Parnassius apollo in Poland and Czech Republic basic on research and project experience”.
During the poster session, we presented the poster “Conservation of the Apollo Butterfly in Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria”, introducing visitors to the activities carried out within the LIFE Apollo2020 project and its objectives, including restoring Apollo butterfly populations and their habitats, genetic monitoring, and engaging the public in the conservation of Parnassius apollo.
All of our presentations were well received by the audience.
The conference gave us an excellent opportunity not only to present our work, but to deepen our knowledge. Our team established new international contacts and attended many presentations and lectures by scientists and entomology enthusiasts. We returned with many inspiring ideas and new insights into research methods used in entomology.
