Butterfly population cannot sustain any further losses, warns expert Attenborough

A GOOD summer for UK butterflies is vital after a string of poor years for the insects, Sir David Attenborough has warned.

Last year was the fourth worst year on record for butterflies, and the TV naturalist is urging members of the public to take part in the annual Big Butterfly Count to see if common species can bounce back this year.

Species such as small tortoiseshell, peacock, meadow brown and gatekeeper suffered declines in 2016 but the warm, dry spring and early summer heatwave has given many species a head start.

Sir David, president of Butterfly Conservation, which runs the annual count, said the next few weeks were a “vital period” for UK butterflies, and they needed to make the most of the chance to breed and feed. “So far the warm weather has given some species like the meadow brown, red admiral and ringlet a good start, but butterflies really need this to continue,” he said. “In the last decade our butterflies have experienced several poor years and although resilient, they simply cannot sustain repeated losses, especially if the habitats they need in order to rebuild their populations are also under threat.” The Big Butterfly Count runs until August 6, and people can take part by finding a sunny spot, spending 15 minutes counting the butterflies they see and then submitting sightings online.