And no, this is not just another fairy tale. For hundreds of years, lepidopterists have researched and recorded volumes of information about the diverse species of butterflies and their habitats. Lepidoptery is that exclusive branch of science totally dedicated to the study of butterflies and moths. Now, much evidence suggests that the world is in the first stages of a sixth great extinction, this one caused not by cosmic events but by human beings and their devastation of vast areas of the natural habitat necessary for the survival of so many species. Some scientists predict that half the species on Earth will cease to exist in the next thirty years.
Butterflies are particularly well-represented in the rain forests. . . .
Today the forests are disappearing at an estimated rate of 88,000 square miles a year, meaning that by the year 2032, unless something is done, the world s rain forests may no longer exist, except perhaps for a few isolated reserves. Unfortunately, both of these beautiful species are currently endangered because their habitats are rapidly disappearing. As we enter the New Millenium, we can all make a difference. Educating ourselves and others about how to maintain and restore natural habitats for butterflies is but one of many ways to help save all of our flying flowers from extinction.