Purpose

Phonecards were largely used in African countries for telephone services. They have been collected by people around the world as a hobby. Images from several themes were printed in phonecards, including insects (beetles, butterflies, dragonflies, etc.). We hypothesized that the display of butterfly images in phonecards aimed to arise issues associated with butterfly endangerment and conservation status by protecting their natural habitat and/or butterfly beautifulness, and that they present “extinct” or “threatened” conservation status classification. The purpose of this study is to describe how butterfly images were used in African phonecards; to identify the butterfly species name through their images and information available in all African phonecards; and to record the most recent known geographical distribution and conservation status of butterflies.

Design/methodology/approach

Colnect database was assessed to identify all butterfly-themed African phonecards. International Union for Conservation of Nature database was also assessed to obtain information on the most recent known geographical distribution and conservation status of butterflies.

Findings

The species name of butterflies was identified from 6 out of 18 African phonecards. The most recent known geographical distribution of butterflies was wide across Africa and conservation status of most genera is classified as “least concern”.

Originality/value

The display of butterfly images in African phonecards is mostly associated with their beautifulness and least related with butterfly conservation, protection and endangerment status.

中文翻译：

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蝴蝶主题的收藏非洲电话卡

目的

电话卡在非洲国家主要用于电话服务。它们被世界各地的人们作为一种爱好收集。电话卡上印有多个主题的图像，包括昆虫（甲虫、蝴蝶、蜻蜓等）。我们假设电话卡中显示蝴蝶图像的目的是通过保护蝴蝶的自然栖息地和/或蝴蝶的美丽来引起与蝴蝶濒危和保护状态相关的问题，并且它们呈现“灭绝”或“受威胁”的保护状态分类。本研究的目的是描述非洲电话卡中如何使用蝴蝶图像；通过所有非洲电话卡中提供的图像和信息来识别蝴蝶物种名称；并记录蝴蝶最新已知的地理分布和保护状况。

设计/方法论/途径

对 Colnect 数据库进行了评估，以识别所有以蝴蝶为主题的非洲电话卡。还对国际自然保护联盟数据库进行了评估，以获得有关蝴蝶最新已知地理分布和保护状况的信息。

发现

蝴蝶的物种名称是从 18 张非洲电话卡中的 6 张中识别出来的。最近已知的蝴蝶地理分布范围很广，遍布非洲，大多数属的保护状况被列为“最不关心”。

原创性/价值

非洲电话卡中蝴蝶图像的显示大多与它们的美丽有关，而与蝴蝶的保育、保护和濒危状况关系不大。