Collected butterfly specimens from Torres Strait. Image; Dr Trevor Lambkin |
A University of Queensland researcher has spent decades compiling a first-of-its-kind database of the butterfly species of the Torres Strait Islands, boosting biosecurity and conservation measures in the region.
Dr Trevor Lambkin working in the field in Torres Strait. |
“My work has created detailed checklists and distribution maps of butterfly populations on each island for the first time, and this specific information will assist in future conservation measures,” Dr Lambkin said.
“As butterflies are prone to move from place to place, they’re very good yardsticks for use in predicting invasions of pest species.”
Dr Lambkin has made more than 30 visits to the islands over the past 38 years, discovering that several species of butterflies are now threatened by rising sea levels, directly linked to climate change.
“The threat of climate change requires urgent and well-directed conservation efforts to slow not only butterfly loss, but wider biodiversity loss,” he said.