Colombia Named The World's Butterfly Paradise

Illustration of a butterfly. (Wikimedia Commons/DeeBFFTC)

JAKARTA - Colombia is home to about 20 percent of the world's butterfly species, the highest number in the world, according to a new study released by the Natural History Museum in London, England.

An international group of scientists have identified 3,642 species and 2,085 subspecies in Colombia, a country with some of the richest biodiversity in the world located in South America.

"More than 200 species of butterflies in this census live only in Colombia and do not exist in any other country in the world," said Blanca Huertas, butterfly specialist at the Museum of Natural History in London, England.

"Also, if we lose them, there is no rescue population and it will be forever," Huertas continued, calling for the protection of their natural habitat. Huertas urged butterfly protection in Colombia to help protect forests and other less charismatic species.

Illustration of a butterfly. (Wikimedia Commons/Md shahanshah bappy)

Scientists participated in the project for most of their careers, during study trips to Colombia, as well as through analysis of more than 350,000 photographs and bibliographical compilations dating back to the 18th century, the Museum of Natural History said in a statement.

The 300-page report makes clear that Colombia is now officially recognized as having the world's most important number of butterfly species, a position it already occupies for birds and orchids, the museum said.

According to the study, two other South American countries, Peru and Ecuador, are approaching similar levels of lepidopteran biodiversity. However, for now there are no complete scientific publications in these countries that would allow us to know for sure.

The researchers also stressed that the butterfly census in Colombia still lacks information and must be complemented by new research and discoveries.

Illustration of a butterfly. (Wikimedia Commons/Munzil 27)

"Colombia is a country with a large diversity of natural habitats, a complex and heterogeneous geography. These factors, coupled with the complicated security situation over the last century in certain areas, have limited the progress of field exploration to date," the museum said.

To note, many areas of the country have been affected for decades by the armed conflict against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which signed a peace treaty in 2016. In addition, paramilitary groups and drug trafficking also fuel insecurity.