Mild winter and warm spring sees increase in Red Admiral numbers

One of Scotland’s most striking butterflies, the Red Admiral, has enjoyed a record summer despite the wet weather, according to the findings of an annual survey.

Butterfly Conservation’s annual Big Butterfly Count, published today, reveals Red Admirals increased by 223 per cent in Scotland during the three-week recording period compared with 2016.

The Red Admiral boom was helped by a good year in 2016 followed by a mild winter and warm spring this year.

Red Admirals that had overwintered in the UK and fresh immigrants arriving in spring from southern Europe enjoyed an early and successful breeding season, giving rise to a bumper summer brood.

Despite the Red Admiral’s comeback, the soggy summer meant that 2017 was not a vintage year for many of Scotland’s most widespread butterfly species, which declined.

The Small White was the most commonly seen species in Scotland with 2,016 counted, a 13 per cent increase on last year when they were third most common.

The distinctive Comma, which has rapidly colonised Scotland since the millennium and is now seen as far north as Aberdeen and Inverness, also benefited from the warm spring by producing a strong summer generation.

Numbers of the colourful Peacock rose by 89 per cent compared to last summer’s count and the Large White increased by 12 per cent on 2016.

The mild winter and warm spring meant some species emerged earlier than normal so that some were already past their peak numbers by the time of the count. The very wet summer then had a negative impact on the numbers of butterflies being seen.

Last year’s most common species, the Green-veined White, was down 54 per cent and the Ringlet down 49 per cent. The Meadow Brown, Speckled Wood and Common Bluealsosawnumberstumble by 44 per cent, 35 per cent and 18 per cent respectively.

Richard Fox, Butterfly Conservation’s head of recording, said: “It hasn’t been a vintage summer for butterflies, but there have been some real positives.

“Above all, the highlight of Big Butterfly Count 2017 has been the huge number of people that have got involved, spent time enjoying and counting our native butterflies and moths and done something useful and important in the face of so much wildlife decline.”

The Big Butterfly Count is the world’s largest butterfly survey. A record 60,000 participants took part across the UK. 0 The Red Admiral butterfly has enjoyed a record summer in spite of the wet weather, according to the findings of an annual survey