How we protect the yellow butterfly in Ticino

The Baccante butterfly ( Lopinga achine ) is a diurnal butterfly species of great ecological importance. It is rare and valuable, is on the Red List of endangered species and enjoys federal protection in Switzerland. Interestingly, the Baccante populations in Ticino play a crucial role, as they are considered a bastion of continental importance for the conservation of this endangered species.

To preserve the Yellow-throated butterfly, a federal action plan has been drawn up to prevent the extinction of local populations, increase the number of individuals and encourage exchanges between the various metapopulations scattered throughout the area. The Yellow-throated butterfly is a butterfly with specific environmental requirements: it prefers sunny and humid areas and is found mainly on the edges of forests where vegetation is sparser and grasses are abundant. Other favourable areas are pastures that are being rewilded and well-managed chestnut forests.

However, recent developments in forest management have put the Yellow Butterfly's habitat at risk. The abandonment of traditional practices such as coppice management and forest grazing, as well as intensive land use near forests that eliminates forest edges, have negatively affected populations of this butterfly.

To counteract these developments, Naturnetz is committed to preserving the yellow butterfly by managing dry meadows in the Piano Dolce mountains above the city of Bellinzona in the Morobbia valley. There, the team has created a favorable environment for the yellow butterfly through targeted measures, in particular by counteracting the uncontrolled spread of bracken and broom through mowing and clearing. These measures not only contribute directly to the preservation of the yellow butterfly, but also have a positive effect on the surrounding ecosystem.

The sustainable management of the dry meadows in the area creates favourable conditions for a wide variety of insects and the rare orchids that bloom in these meadows and are of great importance for the ecological balance of the region.