In days when habitat degradation, alien species in-vasion, climate change, excessive exploitation ofresources, environmental pollution, and wildlife. disease are commonplace, the speed of extinctionamongst endangered species is accelerating at an alarm-ing rate. The decreasing number of butterfly species isone particularly troubling figure. A decrease in butterflypopulation threatens the survival of other insects, whichcould cause a chain reaction leading to the demise ofcountless other animals. As a British biologist once re-marked, man should never underestimate a butterfly.