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Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · 12h

The new European Butterfly Red List found that the biggest threats to butterflies continue to be habitat loss and degradation but climate warming is having a devastating effect on sp. in the far north and far south of Europe. 52% (34) of all Red List sp. are now threatened by climate warming.

Hipparchia tamadabae (La Palma Grayling) is threatened by wildfires (Photo: Yeray Monasterio, Zerynthia)

Recent wildfire on Gran Canaria (Photo: Yeray Monasterio, Zerynthia)

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Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · 1d

We are also deeply saddened that the Madeiran Large White, Pieris wollastoni, is now officially extinct: it was last seen in 1986. The full report can be downloaded here www.bc-europe.eu/documents/68...

A Museum specimen of now extinct Madeiran Large White, Pieris wollastoni (Photo: Sam Ellis)

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martinswarren.bsky.social @martinswarren.bsky.social · 1d

The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Front cover of the European Butterfly Red List, showing Polyommatus humedasae. The report can be downloaded at https://www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?name=red-list-butterflies-2025

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 1d

You can also read what our thoughts are on this news here...

greenwings.co/european-red...

European Red List of Butterflies - Greenwings Wildlife Holidays

Read about the launch of the new Red List for European butterflies and what our founder thinks about it.

greenwings.co

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 1d

key facts and figures (cont)

· Increase in species threatened with extinction since the last assessment in 2010 of 73%.
The biggest threats to butterfly populations are habitat loss & degradation and climate change, which echoes the mounting crisis facing all wildlife.

Vulnerable (VC) False Apollo (Archon apollinus) in Greece on a Greenwings tour (c) Martin P

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 1d

Here are some key facts and figures from the report:

· 442 species assessed.
· 1 is extinct: Pieris wollastoni (the Madeiran Large White) which has not reported since 1986, despite detailed searches for it.
· 28% of European species are threatened or near threatened.

Endangered (EN) Odd-spot Blue Turanana endymion in Greece on a Greenwings tour (c) Bill S

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 1d

Today sees the launch of a report & full update of the IUCN European Red List of Butterflies.

Find out more on the @europebutterfly.bsky.social website:

www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Some facts & figures are also below + 3 species of conservation concern, critically endangered - vulnerable.

Critically endangered (CR) Nevada Grayling Pseudochazara williamsi in Spain (c) Sam E

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 5d

Ophrys reinholdii is one of the Mediterraneans most beautiful & elegant looking orchids in our opinion. The best place to see it is Rhodes, where we find lots and with a nice variety of colour & marking, on our orchid tour each spring.

#orctober #orchids

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Butterfly Conservation Europe @europebutterfly.bsky.social · 6d

The new European Butterfly Red List will be published this Friday at the IUCN Global Biodiversity Conference. Watch this space for the shocking findings

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Matt Berry @matthewberry.bsky.social · 7d

Orchis provincialis for #orctober

You may become bored with my daily orchid posts from Rhodes this month, but as it’s my island home that’s where most of my orchid spotting is done. Please bear with me 😇

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 6d

Good morning & good week from Greece 🇬🇷

For our #orctober theme today here’s one from a new tour we have there in spring, the beautiful Ophrys aesculapii.

Please share your own #orctober pics throughout the month to make it a true floral festival (otherwise the feed will be full of orcs).

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 7d

'Jimmy's Farm meets Jurassic Park'

British Swallowtail eggs to be frozen in liquid nitrogen in a cryopreservation experiment aimed at finding out if healthy butterflies can then be reared from them.

Follow the link for more details...

www.bbc.com/news/article...

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Matt Berry @matthewberry.bsky.social · 8d

For #orctober today, one of the many highlights of the @greenwings orchid tour in Rhodes this year was the hybrid between Ophrys mammosa and O. reinholdii.

I can't wait to see what we find on the 2026 one!

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Vinny Blood @orchidvinny.bsky.social · 8d

Fantastic to be part of the 2025 Rhodes Odyssey - and seeing this species for the first time (in the wild) was a definite highlight! ☺️

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 8d

As a company specialising in tours featuring butterflies & botany we love images that combine those two passions, like this one...

A Heath Fritillary (Mellicta athalia) on a Globe Orchid (Traunsteinera globosa) taken on our Serbia tour this year by guest Gillian E. #orctober

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Matt Berry @matthewberry.bsky.social · 9d

My contribution for #orctober today is this…

Naked-man Orchid (Orchis italica). Never fails to raise a smile! 😀

Taken during this years equally happy @Greenwings Orchid Odyssey in Rhodes, Greece 🇬🇷

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 9d

A pair of awesome orchids from South Africa for today’s #orctober post.

Pachites bodkinii & Disa multifida

Two of the many weird and wonderful species we see on our orchid tours there. Next one’s s coming up soon & we can’t wait to see what our group finds this time!

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WA Orchids @wa-orchids.bsky.social · 10d

Diuris longifolia - the Purple Pansy Orchid

One of the species endemic to the south west of Western Australia that is currently flowering
#orchids #Orctober #ozflora #wildoz #nativeplants #nature

Picture of an orchid flower which had two erect yellow petals with purple colour to their ends. The centre of the flower is purple/mauve in colour

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 11d

The ultimate Greenwings butterfly! Wonderful artwork by Richard & great to see the size comparison with the Swallowtail too.

Richard Lewington @rlewington2.bsky.social · 11d

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing - Ornithoptera alexandrae, the world's largest butterfly, male wingspan 19cm female 24 cm. Swallowtail - Papilio machaon, Britain's largest butterfly, wingspan 7cm. Print from a recent painting www.richardlewington.co.uk/album.php?id...

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 11d

Dates are 13th - 19th March 2026.

Find out more & book this 'small group - big adventure' tour here:

greenwings.co/our-holidays...

@bsbibotany.bsky.social
#BSBICorporateSponsor
#Orctober

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 11d

🚨 New Tour! We're delighted to announce the first of a suite of new European tours for 2026.

Join us for an early spring romp in Greece for orchids & other bulbous beauties - Fritillaries, Crocuses, Tulips, Irises, Romulea, Muscari, & more!

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Matt Berry @matthewberry.bsky.social · 11d

Καλό μήνα! (Kalo mina) or good month!

Here's one for the 1st of #Orctober. A favourite of many, the Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthedinifera).

This was taken locally during one of @greenwingstours.bsky.social popular orchid focused tours, which I set up & launched back in 2013.

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 11d

Good morning & good month! #Leptember now gives way to #Orctober...

"A month long festival of orchids from around the globe! Wild or cultivated, let's celebrate these diverse & beautiful plants!"

We open with this Sawfly Orchid (Ophrys tenthredinifera) taken on our Gargano tour by Gillian E.

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Greenwings Wildlife Tours @greenwingstours.bsky.social · 11d

That month went fast! Thank you for all you posts Annie 😊

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rwhooster @rwhooster.bsky.social · 13d

This morning, I was pleased to find some green in the trap. For the moment, a Green-brindled Crescent NFY will suffice, but it's not a Merveille du Jour.

#teammoth #mothsmatter #moths #leptember

Green-brindled Crescent (Allophyes oxyacanthae). NFY.

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