Title:
Small creature, big role: Disappearing butterflies
Published:
CGTN, 14 May 2021
From the article:
Seemingly small and ephemerally beautiful, butterflies play a significant role in balancing the ecosystem. They are hardworking pollinators, supporting plant life and agriculture. Three-fourths of flowering plants and about 35 percent of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce. Some scientists estimate that one-third of what we eat exists because of the work done by birds and bats, and by bees, butterflies and other insects. However, many pollinator species are facing extinction.
Scientists have identified 26 Australian butterfly species and subspecies at greatest risk of extinction within 20 years. The unique Australian fritillary faces a 94 percent likelihood of extinction.