Butterflies flutter in Wuhan's spring air

As spring temperatures warm up, butterflies in a canyon in the Huangpi district of Wuhan, Hubei province, have come to life. They can be seen fluttering over stones, pools and plants.

There are more than 50 species of butterflies in the so-called Butterfly Canyon, said Zhu Xiaoming who has been recording butterflies in Wuhan for several years.

In a book he published in 2017, Zhu catalogued 116 species of butterflies commonly seen in Wuhan, with detailed description and photos.

Zhu, together with several other butterfly fans in the city, is doing research that he hopes will provide a more complete understanding of butterflies in Wuhan. To date, he has photographed over 600 species.

Wuhan has a rich variety of plants that attract butterflies — adding to evidence that biodiversity in the city is improving, said Sha Qian, who oversees the city's ecological environment science center.