Importancia de las mariposas como posibles bioindicadores de la calidad ambiental en México, un estudio de revisión

Abstract This article analyzes the fundamental role of butterflies (order Lepidoptera) as potential bioindicators of environmental quality in Mexico, a country that harbors a great diversity of these lepidopterans, with more than 1,900 documented species. The study’s main objective is to analyze the factors that make butterflies ecological indicators, evaluating their sensitivity to environmental disturbances such as habitat fragmentation, pollution, and the effects of climate change. The methodology consisted of a literature review of 59 scientific studies, selected through searches in academic databases. The results demonstrate that these insects are particularly essential for environmental monitoring due to their close association with vegetation, their high habitat specificity, and their rapid ecological response. Case studies in urban and natural areas show how species such as Danaus plexippus (monarch butterfly) and Papilio esperanza (Oaxacan comet butterfly) reflect changes in environmental quality. The article concludes that, despite their great potential as ecological diagnostic tools, significant challenges remain for their systematic implementation, including the lack of standardized monitoring protocols and limited information in certain ecosystems. It highlights the need to integrate butterflies into experimental and environmental monitoring studies, public conservation policies, and environmental assessments, as well as to promote programs to expand data collection and leverage their capacity as bioindicators in Mexican biodiversity conservation strategies. Keywords: Mexico, biodiversity, Butterflies, Lepidoptera, bioindicators.