The Funchal Natural History Museum has presented the first volume of the ‘Biodiversity Guides of the Madeira Archipelago and Selvagens Islands’ collection. The inaugural work is dedicated to butterflies and gathers detailed information on 19 species recorded in the archipelago, including 15 resident and four migratory ones.
The bilingual guide, in Portuguese and English, is authored by António Franquinho Aguiar, Ricardo Araújo, and Ysabel Gonçalves, with a preface by the Mayor of Funchal, Jorge Carvalho. The publication aims to bring the Madeiran biodiversity closer to the public.
According to agronomist and entomologist António Franquinho Aguiar, butterflies were chosen due to their scientific and visual interest, allowing for a detailed description of each of the 19 species in a book of about 150 pages. The guide includes photographs of all developmental stages and specimens in nature and scientific collections, with special attention to the four endemic species of Madeira.
