Record summer for red admirals

The red admiral, one of the UK’S most striking butterflies, has experienced a record summer despite soggy weather conditions.

While wet weather has caused problems for other species, results from the Big Butterfly Count have revealed the widespread species has risen in number by 75 per cent compared with last year.

More than 73,000 red admirals were seen during the count’s three-week recording period – as many as were counted in the previous three years of the count.

The admiral boom was helped by a good year in 2016 followed by a mild winter and warm spring, giving rise to a bumper summer brood.

Wet weather in July and August this year, however, meant 2017 has not been positive for the UK’S three common species of white butterfly, which all experienced declines.