In a possible conservation first, researchers are attempting to use cryopreservation to conserve a rare British butterfly.
British swallowtail butterflies (Papilio machaon britannicus) are the UK’s largest native butterflies, but they are threatened by climate change, habitat loss, and loss of genetic diversity.
These striking insects – which have bold black and cream wings with blue and red false eyes as a warning to predators – are only found in East Anglia. Typically seen in the Norfolk Broads, the subspecies is classified as vulnerable on the GB Red List. Its population has declined by 57% in 20 years.
The new project – organised by researchers from Anglia Ruskin University (ARU), Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park and the British conservation biobank Nature's SAFE – involves rearing butterflies from frozen eggs to see how well they develop and reproduce. Butterflies reared from non-frozen eggs will be used as a control.
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“Cryopreservation is a promising tool for supporting conservation efforts, but we believe this is the first time it has been attempted with butterflies,” says Dr Alvin Helden, a member of the Applied Ecology Research Group at ARU. “We will be investigating whether the caterpillars are as healthy and whether the butterflies are as productive as those that come from eggs that haven’t been frozen.”
They will use eggs from a captive population of Papilio machaon gorganus from Jimmy’s Farm & Wildlife Park as a model. This European subspecies of the swallowtail is genetically similar to British swallowtails but more abundant.
If the approach works, it could help butterfly conservation efforts around the globe. “This project holds significant importance for the development of cryopreservation techniques – not only for the British swallowtail, but across pollinators and invertebrates as a whole,” says Debbie Rolmanis, COO of Nature’s SAFE.
Cryopreservation involves freezing genetic samples in liquid nitrogen at -196C (-320F). Since 2020, Nature’s SAFE has cryopreserved samples from nearly 350 species, including sloth bears, southern white rhinos, South American fur seals and Patagonian sea lions.
“If successful, this research has the potential to help safeguard the future of the British swallowtail and significantly contribute to butterfly conservation in general,” says Helden.
Top image: Cryopreservation of biological samples in liquid nitrogen. Credit: Nature’s SAFE
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