Half of our butterflies now threatened with extinction
IGUESS that butterflies would be near the top of any poll asking for people’s favourite insects. There does not seem to have been as many as usual so far this spring because of the almost continuous overcast, cool and breezy conditions.
In my garden I have only seen a few specimens of a handful of species, including orange-tip, brimstone and holly blue.
The weather, though, is a temporary problem: Butterfly Conservation recently updated their Red List of threatened species showing that overall British butterflies are not doing very well, and have more permanent issues to deal with.
Using internationally agreed criteria and data from volunteer surveys the new Red List shows an increase by a quarter of species threatened with extinction.
Head of Science for Butterfly Conservation, Dr Richard Fox, says: “Shockingly, half of Britain’s remaining butterfly species are now
listed as threatened or near threatened. Even before British butterflies were among the most threatened in Europe, and now the number of threatened species in Britain has increased by five.
While some species have become less threatened, and a few have even dropped off the Red List, the overall increase clearly demonstrates that the deterioration of the status of British butterflies continues apace.”
There is some good news: species like the large blue and high brown and pearl-bordered fritillaries are doing better thanks to concentrated conservation efforts by Butterfly Conservation and other organisations, and most of the butterflies you will see in your garden are not under any immediate threat.
In the wider countryside though land-use and management changes are destroying butterfly habitats and are driving the declines.
Climate change is also playing a part, although there are winners as well as losers related to global warming.
You may feel helpless in the face of wider issues, but you can help your local butterflies.
Choose garden plants that provide food for adults and caterpillars.
For instance nettles, hedge garlic, holly and ivy are food for peacock, orange-tip, and holly blue caterpillars respectively. Undisturbed grassy areas provide food for brown butterfly caterpillars, such as speckled wood, meadow brown and gatekeeper. Almost any nectar-rich flowers will be attractive to adults.
If you don’t have a garden you can grow flowers in pots and window boxes.
You will be amply rewarded for your efforts as summer afternoons are enlivened by the gentle and colourful aerial sorties of these most beautiful of insects.
The new Red List shows an increase by a quarter of species threatened with extinction.