The Convention on Biological Diversity set a world target: "to achieve by 2010 a significant reduction of the current rate of biodiversity loss". The EU went further, aiming to halt biodiversity loss by 2010. In March 2010, the charity Butterfly Conservation held its 6th International Symposium on 'The 2010 Target and Beyond for Lepidoptera'. This book, edited by John Dover, Martin Warren and Tim Shreeve and with a Forward by Sir David Attenborough, is a collection of papers from that meeting. The book documents the failure to achieve the 2010 targets and the urgent need to redouble conservation efforts. Papers presented on 'Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation', 'The Science of Conservation Management', 'Landscape-scale Conservation' and 'Future Challenges' illustrate some of the problems we face, but also demonstrate that, with the application of the right tools and knowledge and with sufficient determination, butterflies, moths, and their habitats can have a secure future.

Due to the attractiveness of butterflies, and their usefulness as model systems for biological questions, there has been a considerable amount of material written on butterfly biology, largely in Europe. This book synthesizes all relevant and recent knowledge in the field, which is a must for those making use of this taxonomic group as a model system. It is divided into five major parts which deal with habitat use, population ecology and genetics, evolutionary ecology, distribution and phylogeny, and global change and conservation. There are growing numbers of scientific projects and networks in Europe in which the use of butterflies as tools and targets for conservation is central, and application of knowledge is closely related to European cultural landscapes. However, the chapters can also be applied to a wide geographic scope. Written by an international team of experts, this timely book is suitable for students, researchers and enthusiasts.