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solonavi 14 March 2008 Habitat, Technology 188 views No Comment Print This Post  Email This Post

Independent

Britain is to build the world’s biggest butterfly house as a giant visitor attraction with a giant conservation message: stop butterflies disappearing.

Butterfly World, which will have 10,000 butterflies at a time fluttering under its 300ft-wide, walk-through dome, is being built just off the M25, near St Albans, Hertfordshire. The £25m project was launched yesterday with the support of some of the major voices in Britain’s conservation community, led by Sir David Attenborough.

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The project is the brainchild of the businessman/ environmentalist Clive Farrell, a passionate lepidopterist (enthusiast for butterflies and moths) who has already opened butterfly houses in Florida, Switzerland and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Butterfly World is planned to open in stages between June 2009 and March 2011. When finished, it will have 10,000 tropical butterflies of 250 species on free-flying view under its dome at any one time, in the world’s largest such display, in addition to extensive gardens and meadows to attract native British species, as well as education and research facilities.

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“Globally, the loss of countless species of animals and plants will be catastrophic for mankind, not least because of the loss of potential benefits such diversity can bring to many disciplines, including medical research.”

Species that became extinct

Mazarine blue (Polyommatus semiargus)

This small, pretty butterfly, found across Europe, feeds on red clover. The last colony in Britain died out in 1904.

Black-veined white (Aporia crataegi)

Still common in Europe, this relative of the large and small whites has been extinct in the UK since 1925, perhaps because of agricultural chemical use.

Large tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)

Common in southern England until after the war, it became extinct after Dutch elm disease destroyed its main food source.

Large blue (Maculinea arion)

Extinct since 1979, the large blue has been reintroduced after scientists discovered its unique habitat – its caterpillars live in ants’ nests.

A model of the Butterfly World project