‘They’re [living] very high up’

Scientists have discovered a beautiful new species of butterfly in Angola, on the western coast of Southern Africa. 

The new species, Francis’s gorgeous sapphire, lives in the high-altitude forests of Angola’s Namba Mountains, an area that is at risk of fire damage, Mongabay reported. 

In May 2023, Alan Gardiner discovered the vivid blue butterfly on an expedition with fellow butterfly experts Jonathan Francis and Shabani Ndarama. The discovery was published in Zootaxa in 2025. 

“They’re [living] very high up in these hectic, boulder-strewn forests — a lot of precipices and things like that,” Francis said to Mongabay. “It’s not easy [to catch them] at all.”

Francis’s gorgeous sapphire caterpillars feed on the mistletoe that grows in high altitudes of the Namba Mountains. 

However, these mistletoe plants are vulnerable to fires, which have been occurring more frequently in the region. 

The danger to the mistletoes is a classic story of the interconnected nature of ecosystems. Birds feed on the flowers for nectar, spreading the pollen around to other plants, or they feed on the berries, spreading the seeds around to other areas.

Human-caused climate change is making it more difficult for many species around the world to survive. Supporting biodiversity is crucial to keeping ecosystems running smoothly. For humans, healthy ecosystems have multiple benefits, including supporting our food supply and contributing to medical research.

As global temperatures rise, a cascade of effects like changes in weather patterns, increased frequency of extreme weather, and loss of habitat push certain species closer to extinction. 

To stop the continual warming of the planet, we need to move away from burning dirty energy sources like oil and coal. According to experts, every tenth of a degree matters. 

However, conservation efforts around the world have done wonders for preservation.

Butterflies have frequently been the marker of a reviving ecosystem. Fender’s blue butterfly returned to the Willamette Valley region of Oregon after conservation efforts supported the growth of Kincaid’s lupine plant. The large tortoiseshell butterfly was thought to be extinct, but made a resurgence after environmental improvements in the woodland areas of Kent, England.

For Francis’s gorgeous sapphire, protecting Namba’s remaining forests is key to preserving the rich biodiversity of the region. 

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