CUYABENO , April 22 — Biologists on a trail in the Ecuadoran Amazon hold their breath as they distribute a foul-smelling delicacy to lure butterflies, critical pollinators increasingly threatened by climate change.
They catch and document the colorful insects, releasing most with an identifying mark on their wings. Some of them, possibly from previously unknown species, are kept for further study.Butterflies are “bioindicators,” living organisms whose well-being provides a measure of the health of their surrounding ecosystem, and their numbers are decreasing, biologist Maria Fernanda Checa told AFP.
Some are bright red and blue, others have what resemble zebra stripes. Some are see-through, like glass. Butterflies, said Checa, are “very sensitive, even to small changes in the ecosystem” throughout their short lifespan from egg to caterpillar to reproductive adult.