Butterfly species broken on the wheel of climate change

HALF of British butterfly species are under threat as climate change means a greater number are at risk of extinction.

The latest Red List for British butterflies shows that half are classed as either threatened or near threatened.

Butterfly Conservation, a charity, said that butterflies that were better adapted to cooler, damper climates were more likely to be doing badly.

The situation has deteriorated since the last assessment in 2011, with five more species facing the threat of extinction – a 26 per cent increase – including some that were widespread or common in the countryside, such as the wall butterfly.

The large heath and the grayling have moved from vulnerable to the more atrisk category of endangered, and seven species have moved from near-threatened to threatened, including swallowtails and Adonis blues.

Of the 62 assessed, four are already regionally extinct, and 24 of the remaining 58 are threatened with extinction.

Dr Richard Fox, head of science for Butterfly Conservation, said: “The overall increase clearly demonstrates that the deterioration of the status of British butterflies continues apace.”