Back from the brink: LIFE Apollo aims to save one of Europe’s rarest butterflies

Inadequate grazing by livestock, climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, use of pesticides, and overcollection for commercial purposes or private collections have all contributed to the Apollo butterfly’s precarious position. But now a dedicated group of naturalists, conservationists and concerned citizens are helping the Apollo to fight back.

Over the past 20 years, a number of LIFE projects have included actions to protect and restore Apollo butterfly populations across Europe, but this is the first time this iconic species has had a dedicated project exclusively focusing on it. LIFE Apollo2020, a six year project covering Poland, Czechia and Austria, has set itself a big challenge: to create three additional breeding farms and three new breeding populations in the Sudeten mountains, the White Carpathians and the Austrian Alps, as well as to create at least 38 "stepping stone” sites to secure species migration corridors between the new sites.

‘Educating the public is crucial so that people realise the importance of nature and the need to preserve its integrity,’ explains Aleksandra Puchtel, one of the project’s assistants in Poland. ‘Not only is the Apollo butterfly a beautiful part of our environment, but it is also a valuable component of the ecosystem. Their role in the pollination process contributes to the preservation of biodiversity, providing tangible benefits to humans in the form of increased yield and diversity of our food. Protecting Apollo and preserving its habitat is not only a duty to nature but also a matter of our own self-interest.’

As if to underline the significance of this rare and beautiful creature, a unique sub-species - Parnassius apollo ssp. vinningensis - has been crowned Butterfly of the Year 2024 for the famous German Mosel wine-growing region. The title, says Lisa Marie Mahlknecht, a communications expert with the Austrian project team, ‘is a testament to its vibrant beauty and captivating charm. At the same time, however, it is a warning. Like in many other European regions, the Apollo population of the Mosel region is declining rapidly and is in great danger of extinction.’

Among LIFE Apollo 2000’s many notable achievements, the project has established three additional breeding farms and three new breeding populations in the Sudeten mountains, the White Carpathians and the Austrian Alps. Project staff and volunteers have also worked together to create nearly 40 ‘stepping stone’ sites to secure migration corridors between the new sites.

One of the biggest factors in the recent insect decline has been the increasing use of glyphosate-based weed killers. But in a major win for LIFE Apollo, Austrian state railway company Öbb agreed to end its use on its entire rail network - from more than five tonnes in 2021 to zero in 2022 - but because of glyphosate’s long life, 2024 will see the last herbicide residues disappear. Elsewhere France, the Netherlands and Belgium have banned glyphosate for household use, while Germany introduced a total ban at the end of 2023.

As spring approaches and temperatures rise, project teams in all three countries begin the huge task of tracking and recording emerging Apollo populations. They are helped in Austria by specially-trained sniffer dogs which can detect the scent of the caterpillars which eventually turn into butterflies.

‘Dogs have become indispensable in research and conservation projects over the last 30 years,’ says Kamila Redererova, a project assistant with the European Wilderness Society, one of the project’s partners. ‘Dogs undergo special training to teach them to recognise the unique odours associated with Apollo caterpillars. This simple but effective method helps the dog find the Apollo butterfly caterpillar in the wild.’

The future for Parnassius apollo is uncertain while it remains on the IUCN Red List. But LIFE Apollo is confident these beautiful insects can make a comeback. That’s already starting - last year the project successfully released a total of 1240 individual butterflies at reintroduction sites across 11 different locations.

LIFE Apollo supports the EU Habitats Directive, the European Green Deal, the 2030 Biodiversity Strategy, the EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change and the New EU Forest Strategy for 2030.