‘Worrying decline’ noted in UK’s butterfly numbers despite yearly increase

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It is thought they benefited from the wetter weather, with 12 butterflies recorded on average per count, compared to nine in last year’s long periods of drought and heat. Gatekeeper was next with 222,896 sightings – an increase of 12 per cent on last year, but long-term figures show a decrease of 28 per cent since 2010. White butterflies came third and fourth, with large whites recorded 216,666 times and small whites seen 190,506 times – an increase of 11 per cent and 15 per cent on last year respectively. “However, while the number of butterflies recorded this summer has been the highest since 2019, the longer-term trends show worrying declines for some of the UK’s most common butterfly species.” Species that have declined since last year and over the long term include ringlet, common blue and speckled wood.