Summary
The Crucial Conservation Steps to Save Australia’s Most Threatened Butterfly Community is a multi-year initiative to secure the future of some of Australia’s rarest and most overlooked butterflies, including the Small Ant-blue Butterfly. These tiny, fragile species rely on a unique partnership with the Coconut Ant, a relationship that makes them both highly specialised and highly vulnerable.
At the heart of this work is Butterfly Community No.1 — a nationally recognised threatened ecological community that is found nowhere else on Earth. This community brings together a remarkable suite of rare and endangered butterflies, moths, ants, and plants, bound together through delicate ecological interactions. If we lose this community, we don’t just lose individual species — we lose an irreplaceable web of relationships that has evolved over millennia.
Butterflies are more than just beautiful indicators of healthy ecosystems. They act as pollinators, as food sources for other species, and as powerful storytellers that can inspire people to reconnect with nature. Protecting Butterfly Community No.1 ensures the survival of these vital ecological functions and helps safeguard biodiversity for future generations.
Project Strategy
The project is being delivered in three stages (2018–2028):
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Stage 1 (completed): Habitat restoration, targeted surveys, establishment of a scientific working group and community engagement.
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Stage 2 (underway but more funding required): Expanded monitoring using detector dogs, habitat restoration, feasibility studies for host ant reintroduction, and a large-scale citizen science program.
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Stage 3 (planned): Reintroduction of host ants, cultural land management practices, and translocation trials to secure long-term survival.
Every stage combines cutting-edge science, Traditional Owner knowledge, and hands-on community involvement to create lasting conservation outcomes.
Key Achievements
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Discovered the only known remaining breeding site for the Small Ant-blue Butterfly in Victoria — a breakthrough discovery after statewide surveys.
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Found the first caterpillars in coconut ant nests in decades, proving the species is still breeding.
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Carried out 350+ surveys for threatened butterflies, moths, and coconut ants.
- Discovered a rare bee (Amegilla albiceps), including the first documented females in over a century.
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Restored grasslands and installed educational signage to protect habitat and raise awareness.
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Trialled conservation detection dogs to locate coconut ant nests with success.
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Digitised 15 years of Golden Sun Moth data to inform recovery planning.
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Published new science and provided expert advice to land managers.
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Engaged volunteers, youth, and Traditional Owners in hands-on threatened species conservation.
Partners
This project brings together a wide range of collaborators, including:
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Threatened Species Conservancy (TSC) – Project leadership, species expertise and specialist entomology, and project delivery
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Mitchell Shire Council – Local government support, planning advice, and co-investment
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Parks Victoria – On-ground support, land management, and survey assistance
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Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) – Technical advice, planning, and co-investment
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Taungurung Land and Waters Council – Traditional Owner knowledge, land management, and cultural guidance
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Macquarie University – Research support, including conservation dog detection trials
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Australian National University (ANU) – Specialist entomology and species advice
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Australian Insect Collection (CSIRO) – Taxonomic analysis of Coconut Ant specimens
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South West Goulburn Landcare Network – Community engagement and local survey support
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BEAM Environmental Group – Local expertise and Golden Sun Moth research
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Community volunteers, citizen scientists, and university interns (Monash & Deakin) – Ongoing support for surveys and monitoring
Conservation Status
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Small Ant-blue Butterfly (Acrodipsas myrmecophila)
Listed as Critically Endangered under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act).
Considered highly restricted and vulnerable to extinction, with only one known breeding stronghold remaining in Victoria.
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Large Ant-blue Butterfly (Acrodipsas brisbanensis cyrilus)
Listed as Endangered under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act).
Also dependent on Coconut Ants for breeding, with a very limited distribution.
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Butterfly Community No.1
Listed as a threatened ecological community under the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988 (FFG Act).
Recognised as the only community of its kind in Australia, supporting multiple threatened butterfly species alongside other rare invertebrates.
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Golden Sun Moth (Synemon plana)
Listed as Critically Endangered under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) and the FFG Act.
Also recorded within the Butterfly Community No.1 area.
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Coconut Ants (Papyrius sp.)
Not currently listed under state or federal legislation.
A critical host species under taxonomic revision, vulnerable to habitat degradation and invasive weeds.
Budget
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Stage 1 – Funded and completed.
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Stage 2 – Partially funded, but further support is needed to expand monitoring, restoration, and community programs.
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Stage 3 – Not yet funded. Substantial investment will be required for host ant reintroductions and translocation trials.
Funds spent to date: $200,000
Funds still required: $400,000
