Ecology, Diversity and Conservation of Butterflies
A special issue of Insects (ISSN 2075-4450). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Ecology, Diversity and Conservation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 31
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biogeography; butterflies; nymphalidae; lycaenidae; gentiana pneumonanthe; myrmica; population ecology of butterflies; Phengaris; maculinea; phylogeography and population genetics of butterflies
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Butterflies make up only 10% of all Lepidoptera, but are among the most charismatic and intensively studied insects. They are a model group in such diverse fields as phylogeography, population ecology, behaviour and mimicry. They demonstrate extraordinary diversity in terms of behaviour and mobility, ranging from sedentary species to transcontinental migrants, from ubiquitous to specialist, often monophagous, and sometimes requiring additional resources, e.g., associated ants in myrmecophilous species. They are also unique arthropods as a major subject of citizen science. Butterflies—despite some being identified as pests—most often attract public attention in the context of conservation. They respond sensitively to environmental changes resulting from human activity as well as to climate change. The decline of butterflies has been observed over practically all of the world, although it is best documented in the temperate climate zone of the northern hemisphere. In conservation, they are not only a goal on their own, but also an important ‘umbrella’ and indicator species.
This Special Issue welcomes all papers on butterflies, especially those aimed at better understanding their ecology and diversity (including genetics) in the aspect of conservation. Basic research as well as practical protective measures and their evaluation will be equally valuable. There are no limits regarding biotopes and geography. Interspecies interactions, e.g., with larval food plants, host ants and parasitoids, are also within the scope of interest.
Dr. Marcin Sielezniew
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Insects is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- butterflies
- population ecology
- behavioural ecology
- conservation genetics
- conservation management
- monitoring
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