The pair of golden-spotted swallowtail butterflies—one of the rarest species of butterflies in the world—was born at the Jiangxi Gongshan National Nature Reserve in China in early August.
This butterfly species is listed among the top priority animals for conservation. (Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
Chinese researchers have successfully bred a pair of golden-spotted swallowtail butterflies (one male and one female), scientifically named Teinopalpus aureus.
This species is one of the eight rarest swallowtail butterflies in the world and is on the brink of extinction. In China, this butterfly is included in the list of animals that require top priority for conservation.
The research and breeding facility for the golden-spotted swallowtail butterfly is located within the Jiangxi Gongshan National Nature Reserve in eastern China’s Jiangxi Province. The pair was born earlier this month.
According to experts at the research facility, only two female golden-spotted swallowtail butterflies have been found in the wild since Chinese scientists discovered this species in 2007. The rarity of female butterflies leads to low reproductive rates, which is linked to the dwindling population of this species.
The facility successfully carried out the first artificial breeding of the golden-spotted swallowtail butterfly in 2020 and released two male butterflies into the wild.
With the successful artificial breeding of the female of this species, Chinese experts hope that the population of this rare insect will increase in the near future.
