LEPO

Butterflies and Moths are key pollinators within the European Union

Europe's key pollinators, namely bees, hoverflies, butterflies, and moths, are providing important ecosystem services, contributing to agricultural productivity and food security in Europe. Despite their ecological and economic significance, many pollinator populations are undergoing severe declines, thereby increasingly placing them on the political agenda. Key EU policies addressing this issue include the 2023 EU Pollinators Initiative (2023/2720(RSP)) and the EU Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR, EU 2024/1991). Within this context, the LEPO project focuses on the conservation of butterflies and moths (order: Lepidoptera) by (I) assessing the geographical coverage and accuracy of butterfly and moth data in Germany, (II) investigating plant-pollinator interactions networks to identify species of high functional importance and (III) contributing to the development of operational criteria for the identification of Key Pollinator Areas (KPAs). Through these activities, the LEPO project seeks to provide a scientific basis for the effective conservation and restoration of Lepidoptera populations.