Overview
- A 50-year review by the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme reports 33 of 59 native species have fallen, while 25 have grown since 1976.
- The scheme has logged more than 44 million records from about 782,000 volunteers counting butterflies at thousands of sites across the UK.
- Habitat specialists are suffering most, with the small tortoiseshell down about 87% and the pearl-bordered fritillary down about 70% since 1976.
- Generalists have fared better, with Red Admiral numbers up roughly 330% and the Large Blue rebounding 1,866% after reintroduction in 1983.
- Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count drew over 125,000 participants last year yet recorded only average numbers per count, strengthening calls for large-scale habitat restoration.