The Luzon peacock swallowtail butterfly is also known as Papilio chikae and is found on Luzon island in the Philippines, as its name suggests. It’s only found in the Luzon area and can’t be found anywhere else on the Earth. Unfortunately, these beautiful species are now classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species because of extensive killings by the butterfly collectors.
Luzon habitat
The perfect environment for survival of peacock swallowtail is limited to a central mountain range in northern Luzon island. It’s only found in Cordillera Central mountains because they live below 1500 meters of altitude. These butterflies reside in the tropical pine forests of the area, which are part of the Unesco world heritage site known as Mt. Pulag National Park. Most of this area is a cloud forest, and several other fauna and flora species are only found in this there.
The collector threat
The biggest threat to the Luzon peacock swallowtail butterfly species is the Butterfly enthusiast. Any loss of habitat would also have a dangerous impact on the numerous other species found in this region only. S. Igarashi first discovered these butterflies in 1965, and it’s beautiful colors made it highly prized by butterfly enthusiasts and collectors. Luzon peacock swallowtail butterfly flies quite slowly, and they are pretty easy to catch. The high prices offered for purchasing of Luzon peacock swallowtail make it a tempting target for butterfly poachers.
Tourism
Tourism is another threat to these butterfly species. Baguio area within the Luzon butterfly’s habitat is a popular tourist destination. There’s an immense increase in the human population in this area. And an IUCN report on conservation of swallowtail butterfly states that keeping humans out of the butterflies habitat is essential. On Mount Santo Tomas, where these butterflies were found, the road construction has now damaged the habitat. The new roads have made it easy for poachers and tourists to come into the species living space.
Conservation status
The Philippines now has a very less number of swallowtail butterfly species. Giving these species priority status in the conservation programs. The IUCN study on swallowtails conservations states there’s no information provided by the Philippines’ endemic butterfly species. And there is a minimal effort made to protect the swallowtail butterfly’s habitat.
These species’ endangered status has been intact since 1996. And recent evaluation by Germans and Japanese researches in 2004 states that the situation is less bleak, and the Luzon peacock swallowtail population is much more than what IUCN suggests.
Final words
Luzon peacock swallowtail butterfly is one of the most beautiful butterflies species found on Earth. Because of their beauty and high prices, they have become a target of the poachers. And there are very fewer efforts by the Philippines government to save these species from those poachers. Additionally, they are found in a popular tourist attraction area, and it becomes easy for poachers to reach these areas and catch these species.
We believe these species can only be saved if there’s no human intervention in their habitat. Additionally, the Philippines government should make more efforts to save these species from extinction. We hope that these beautiful species live many more years happily on this planet.