Climate change proves to be mixed blessing for butterflies in Britain

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Climate change has been a mixed blessing for lepidoptera in Britain, according to the world’s largest insect monitoring scheme. Of the 58 native species of butterfly recorded in 44m sightings over 50 years, 33 have declined and 25 have increased in number. Those that are suffering are species only adapted to survive in very specific habitats. The white-letter hairstreak, for instance, has declined by 80%. Changing conditions, however, have benefited species such as the red admiral, which is up 330% thanks to warmer temperatures allowing it to survive all year round. Habitat restoration is crucial for keeping up numbers. The large blue was declared extinct in 1979, but later reintroduced at more than 11 sites across the UK. There are now more than 10,000 on reserves in Gloucestershire and Somerset. Britain is believed to have the largest concentration of the species in the world.