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`Flying pearl' voted most beautiful butterfly

In this undated photo two birdwing butterflies sit on a branch in Taitung County. The birdwing butterfly has now become a tourist attraction. PHOTO: CNA

The birdwing butterfly, native to Orchid Island (蘭嶼), also known as Lanyu, has been selected as the nation's most beautiful in a recent online poll.

In the month-long survey, sponsored by the Council of Agriculture, the birdwing won the title with a total of 247,019 votes. The poll's aim was to select the top 10 most beautiful butterflies from the nation's 23 cities and counties.

The number of birdwing butterflies -- known as the "flying pearl" -- is fewer than 2,000 worldwide, with more than 1,500 of those on Orchid Island, Taitung County Councilor Chiang Duo-li (江多利) said.

The butterfly's numbers dropped to less than 1,000 a decade ago because of a loss of habitat and reductions in their food supply, Chiang said. Large numbers of the butterflies were also captured for sale by locals in the past, he said.

During the 1960s and 1970s, approximately 5,000 to 10,000 were caught and sold annually to butterfly collectors in Taiwan and abroad, Chiang said.

The council began collaborating with an association dedicated to the preservation of the ecosystem on Orchid Island in 2000 with the aim of protecting the endangered butterflies, said Chiang, who is also a director of the association.

Birdwing butterflies have also been spotted on the Batan Islands of the Philippines, about 110km south of Taiwan, but in very small numbers, Chiang said.
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