Rare butterfly species returns to Hong Kong after over a decade

Difficulty: Summiteer (Level 3)

Traces of a rare butterfly species have been found in Hong Kong for the first time in over a decade. Experts expect more of them to appear.

The Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve said that one of its surveyors had found eggs of the Libythea myrrha, also known as the club beak, at Lui Kung Tin in Yuen Long in late August.

The butterfly, which has an extremely long snout, was first spotted in Hong Kong in 2011 at the Wetland Park in Tin Shui Wai. The species is distributed across mainland China in Yunnan, Hainan, Guangxi, and Guangdong. The reserve said it can also be found in South and Southeast Asia.

Hydrogen Pun Sui-fai, who sits on the reserve’s advisory committee, said the species, currently categorised as “vagrant” by authorities, may appear again in Hong Kong.

Kenneth Au Ka-keung, a senior project officer at the reserve, said it was unclear why the species reappeared in Hong Kong because the plants they feed on are quite common.

According to the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Hong Kong’s butterfly checklist has 245 species. This represents about 10 per cent of the species recorded throughout China.

Quiz time

1. When was the Libythea myrrha butterfly last seen in Hong Kong?

2. Where were the butterfly eggs discovered?

3. Where can this species of butterfly be found?

4. How many types of butterflies are there in Hong Kong?

Experts believe the butterfly’s return could be a sign of a healthier ecosystem. Photo: Handout

Suggested answers

1. 13 years ago

2. At Lui Kung Tin in Yuen Long district

3. In mainland China in Yunnan, Hainan, Guangxi, and Guangdong, as well as across South and Southeast Asia.

4. 245