- The UK has recorded its second-best butterfly season in 16 years following a summer marked by five distinct heatwaves, with over 100,000 volunteers logging nearly 1.4 million insects during the latest Big Butterfly Count.
- Migratory species experienced dramatic gains in the sunny conditions, notably the painted lady, whose recorded numbers increased by 335 per cent compared to last year to reach its second-highest count since 2010.
- Despite the surge in adult sightings, wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation warns that prolonged heat and severe drought could trigger a sharp population crash next year.
- Professor Richard Fox, head of science at the charity, explained that extreme heat without rainfall causes crucial host plants and grasses to wither, leaving caterpillar offspring facing starvation.
- Conservationists fear climate breakdown will make severe droughts more frequent, urging the public to water gardens, plant native nectar sources, and leave grassy areas untrimmed to help vulnerable species survive.
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