Child’s butterfly find leads enthusiasts to overlooked species

A 12-year-old girl’s discovery of a butterfly not previously seen in Northern Europe has prompted enthusiasts across Finland to search their familiar spots, Yle reports.

Sara Mutanen found the Cuprina fuscella butterfly in Finland this summer. About 20 individuals were found at the location, indicating that the discovery involved a population rather than a single specimen.

Biologist Jaakko Kullberg of Sitowise, a company, described the find as “a wonderful piece of summer news”. Kullberg is also an expert on Yle’s nature programme.

Once news of the discovery spread, butterfly enthusiasts began checking places where the fern known as kotkansiipi grows. Kullberg said he examined one such location and found dozens of the small but easily identifiable butterflies after fewer than ten sweeps with a net.

The butterfly was soon found in several parts of southern Finland, including Pirkanmaa, Hartola and Nastola. It has now been recorded at least ten locations.

“It is a bit like a middle finger, in a healthy way,” Kullberg said, joking that enthusiasts thought they knew the country’s species, while the butterfly had been living in their backyards.

According to Kullberg, the discovery also exposed a blind spot among experienced enthusiasts. Adults often search for species using methods that have worked before, while children may investigate without the same preconceptions.

The find has prompted enthusiasts to examine other ferns as well, wondering whether more species may have gone unnoticed. Kullberg said the discovery had led to constructive self-criticism and new investigations within the butterfly community.

For those reasons, Kullberg considers Mutanen’s discovery a strong candidate for the year’s best butterfly observation, although he believes even rarer species could still be found.