A study in Conservation Science and Practice by Markus Franzén and Victor Johansson reports the disappearance of two butterfly species from Sweden and the loss of the southern Swedish clouded Apollo population. The assessment combined historical records, citizen-science observations and targeted surveys, using data extending to 2024.
The last recorded sightings in the study were 2018 for Assmann’s fritillary (Melitaea britomartis), 2019 for Reverdin’s blue (Plebejus argyrognomon) and 2023 for the southern clouded Apollo population (Parnassius mnemosyne, historically referred to as subspecies argiope). The paper records surviving northern Swedish clouded Apollo populations; it does not report national extinction of this species.
The authors identify habitat degradation, population isolation and the 2018 drought as likely contributing pressures, rather than demonstrating a single cause. They recommend restoring and reconnecting suitable habitat and adapting management to species’ needs and environmental conditions, supported by collaboration among researchers, authorities and conservation organisations.
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Franzén, M. & Johansson, V. (2025). Recent butterfly extinctions in Sweden reveal the inadequacy of site-based protection and the need for landscape-scale management. Conservation Science and Practice, 7(12), e70188.