Drought Threatens Britain's Butterflies Amid Record Counts

The UK's butterfly population is facing a potential threat due to this summer's drought, according to a warning from Butterfly Conservation. The charity has expressed concern that caterpillars may not have enough food as many plants withered and died before they had finished feeding on them.

Despite the positive results of this year's Big Butterfly Count, which recorded almost 1.4 million butterflies and moths, three sensitive species showed below-average numbers. The Speckled Wood, Green-veined White, and Ringlet saw declines of 44%, 54%, and 39% respectively since 2011.

Butterfly Conservation's head of science, Prof Richard Fox, noted that a good summer for adult butterflies is not the same as a good summer for butterfly populations. He explained that what matters more is what happens on the ground to caterpillar offspring and the plants they depend on.