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Monday, Jan 27, 2025
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Seven butterfly species found in Hong Kong for the first time
A green group has found seven butterfly species in Hong Kong for the first time, and rediscovered two species which moved to mainland previously.
The new species have come from southern China and Southeast Asian countries, but they moved north to Hong Kong for a more optimum environment. The two species rediscovered have previously moved to mainland cities north of Hong Kong, but were surprisingly found to have returned to the city, according to Environmental Association.
Mostly originating from Southeast Asai such as India, Thailand or Malaysia, the seven species were small copper, Four-bar Swordtail, Great Nawab, Silver Royal, Fluffy Tit, Common Sailer and Lesser Gull.
Two species, Sephisa chandra and Deudorix smilis, were spotted in May to have returned to the city after 4 and 10 years respectively. The association will closely monitoring the impact to local ecosystems and other species.
”In my 20 years of studying butterflies, discovering seven new species in one year has never happened before,” Environmental Association Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve Advisor Hydrogen, Pun Sui Fai said.
He added the unusual discovery was a revelation to the severity of global warming where temperature’s statistical changes have brought actual influence to species habitat.
Pun said the Deudorix smilis is classified to be a rare species and only a few were spotted in 2017. As in 2021, the species is now found to have returned and bred quickly. It can now be found in many places in the city.
The climate in Hong Kong has gradually become more alike Southeast Asia’s weather, Pun said, with no spring and more humid and becoming hotter.
CEO of Environmental Association Yau Wing-kwong said the migration of butterflies was due to the shifting of the Isotherm as temperature rises, a line connecting areas with the same temperature.
“Butterflies are prone to live along the isotherm. The newly found species may have moved with the isotherm to Hong Kong where local species may also move upward following the isotherm as well,” Yau said.
He said the sudden bloom in foreign species may have also been an “accumulative effect”. The gradual increase in global temperature every year has made Hong Kong a more optimum environment over the years, he said, as more foreign species moved to Hong Kong.
Yau called for more actions to be done to reduce greenhouse gas emission. He hopes the government can speed up the offshore wind farm project and step up its effort in renewable energy infrastructure.
Mostly originating from Southeast Asai such as India, Thailand or Malaysia, the seven species were small copper, Four-bar Swordtail, Great Nawab, Silver Royal, Fluffy Tit, Common Sailer and Lesser Gull.
Two species, Sephisa chandra and Deudorix smilis, were spotted in May to have returned to the city after 4 and 10 years respectively. The association will closely monitoring the impact to local ecosystems and other species.
”In my 20 years of studying butterflies, discovering seven new species in one year has never happened before,” Environmental Association Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve Advisor Hydrogen, Pun Sui Fai said.
He added the unusual discovery was a revelation to the severity of global warming where temperature’s statistical changes have brought actual influence to species habitat.
Pun said the Deudorix smilis is classified to be a rare species and only a few were spotted in 2017. As in 2021, the species is now found to have returned and bred quickly. It can now be found in many places in the city.
The climate in Hong Kong has gradually become more alike Southeast Asia’s weather, Pun said, with no spring and more humid and becoming hotter.
CEO of Environmental Association Yau Wing-kwong said the migration of butterflies was due to the shifting of the Isotherm as temperature rises, a line connecting areas with the same temperature.
“Butterflies are prone to live along the isotherm. The newly found species may have moved with the isotherm to Hong Kong where local species may also move upward following the isotherm as well,” Yau said.
He said the sudden bloom in foreign species may have also been an “accumulative effect”. The gradual increase in global temperature every year has made Hong Kong a more optimum environment over the years, he said, as more foreign species moved to Hong Kong.
Yau called for more actions to be done to reduce greenhouse gas emission. He hopes the government can speed up the offshore wind farm project and step up its effort in renewable energy infrastructure.
