Developing best practices in butterfly conservation in Central and Eastern Europe

ongoing

The Metamorphosis project focuses on the conservation of 15 butterfly species listed in Annexes II and IV of the EU Habitats Directive, namely Colias myrmidone, Callimorpha quadripunctaria, Euphydryas aurinia, Euphydryas maturna, Eriogaster catax, Lopinga achine, Lycaena dispar, Lycaena helle, Phengaris (Maculinea) arion, Phengaris (Maculinea) nausithous, Phengaris (Maculinea) teleius, Parnassius mnemosyne, Parnassius apollo, Pseudophylotes bavius, Zerynthia polyxena in three Member states (Slovakia, Hungary and Romania). The project will also target restoration of habitat type 6210 Semi-natural dry grasslands and scrubland facies on calcareous substrates (Festuco-Brometalia) (*important orchid sites in many SCIs targeted) that are also home to many target species of the project (Colias myrmidone, Phenragis species, Parnassius apollo), as well as other important pollinators (such as wild bees, wasps, hoverflies, bee-flies, moths). Colias myrmidone is a special focus of the project in central Romania, one of the last strongholds of this species whose population is rapidly declining across central Europe. The project carries out best practices in habitat management, and concrete restoration activities directly targeting populations of these species. It will bring nature back to agricultural land and improve high biodiversity features. It contributes to halting pollinator decline and improving connectivity of the network of protected areas. Farmers and other stakeholders will be included into decision processes, direct restoration and management of habitats, to ensure sustainability of results. The project will promote citizen science in monitoring, and bottom-up approach to designation of protected areas, measuring and integrating the value of nature in project areas, and will also transfer the knowledge (including for policy makers) and replicate results to other areas of occurrence of these species. The project will integrate Slovakia and Romania in the Europe.