Melbourne has a diverse range of both native and non-native butterfly species, but they can be hard to find. Now, a group of experts, including RMIT urban design epert Luis Mata, have taken the guess work out of the equation by studying where -and when, to find butterflies in Melbourne.
‘Our City’s Little Gems’ is a butterfly biodiversity survey that observed butterfly-flower interactions in Melbourne throughout 2017.
In Melbourne, you are much more likely to see a butterfly from the little blue butterfly group native to Australia (They really are beauties, so there’s nothing to complain about there!). You can see the charts below to see the number of each butterfly species sighted during the survey and where to find them.
For an immersive butterfly experience, then Royal Park and the Women’s Peace Gardens are the places to be. While you’re at Royal Park you could even make a detour to the Melbourne Zoo and find some more exotic butterfly species in the Butterfly House.
Butterflies love the warm weather and the hotter months of the year are the best times to go butterfly spotting. The study found that more butterflies were sighted in the medium heat than cooler or hotter temperatures. So, what’s the perfect temperature to go butterfly spotting? As you can see in the chart, it is when the weather reaches 29 degrees Celcius.
Photo by Boris Smokrovic on Unsplash.
Despite the high numbers of the little blue butterfly group, there are some butterfly species that are endangered in Melbourne, including the Golden Sun-moth and the Eltham Copper butterfly.
Aside from planting butterfly friendly native flora species in your gardens, Museums Victoria also recommends volunteering with conservation groups that focus on the reintroduction and protection of native flora and fauna such as Landcare Victoria.
Featured Image: by Bogomil Mihaylov on Unsplash
@OakesThea
Have little blue butterflies in my garden in Knoxfield.