How REBN is Protecting Portugal’s Nocturnal Butterflies

Moths are very important for the ecosystem and have environmental benefits. “They are the baseline food sources for all the other animals such as bats, birds, other insects, reptiles and amphibians. At some point, all of the above eat moths or butterflies in a certain stage of their life cycle.”, says Hélder Cardoso, a naturalist freelancer and coordinator of the National Moth Recording Scheme and operator of the research station in Planalto das Cesaredas in Lourinhã.

Ecologists use moths as model organisms to learn more about the impact of environmental changes due to agricultural trends, such as monocultures, a technique commonly used in intensive farming, that causes a decrease in biodiversity. Chemical fertilizers constitute another danger to butterfly populations as these species depend on a specific plant or group of plants to survive. Because of this, they are very sensitive to habitat changes.

REBN has been monitoring Portugal’s moth and butterfly fauna since 2021. The project highlights the vital role of nocturnal butterflies in our ecosystems.

REBN’s mission to make the monitoring of butterfly populations accessible to the masses can be seen in the various light traps scattered throughout the country, mostly along the coastline, that can be set up by volunteers from the general public who then publish the data on REBN´s app called ‘Butterfly Count’. One does not need to be an expert in lepidopterology as REBN has also released a butterfly atlas so that anyone can help in this mission.

Portugal is one of the three countries participating in moth research in Europe and six new species have been found in the past five years. 

According to Hélder Cardoso, there is not enough data in Portugal to verify population trends. However, he believes  that butterfly populations have been on a decline for the past 30 years. 

Therefore, the project’s aim to help with conservation efforts has created a network of volunteers, educational programs such as school visits that help communities recognize the importance of balanced ecosystems. Lourinhã municipality has acknowledged this project’s noteworthiness by awarding it the first place in ‘orçamento participativo’ (a monetary incentive given to NGOs by the city hall) in 2021 in the environment category.