![Red admirals are a migratory species that previously flew south to Europe in the winter, but are now living in Britain all year around](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2024/07/11/TELEMMGLPICT000385225194_17207252807250_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqKaTtElqnprEEbbLpY60bhatU9HnEEvVzMXhcP-hVoD8.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Spring and summer washout delivers fewer butterflies
Insects need warm and dry conditions to mate so numbers are down but some species are being found further north because of climate change
![Red admirals are a migratory species that previously flew south to Europe in the winter, but are now living in Britain all year around](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2024/07/11/TELEMMGLPICT000385225194_17207252807250_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqKaTtElqnprEEbbLpY60bhatU9HnEEvVzMXhcP-hVoD8.jpeg?imwidth=680)
Butterflies are missing from Britain because of the wet spring and cold start to the summer, experts have said.
The charity Butterfly Conservation said there had been a lack of butterflies this year prompted by a dearth of warm and dry conditions that the insects need to fly and mate.
According to the Met Office, the first two weeks of June, the start of meteorological summer, were about 2C colder than average, because of northerly winds bringing chilly Arctic air across the UK.
Despite a short heatwave at the end of June, the start of July has been unseasonably cold and wet with rain stopping play at Wimbledon on most days.
“There has been a noticeable lack of butterflies seen so far this year – this has been widely reported on social media and is also shown through our monitoring schemes,” said a spokesman for Butterfly Conservation.
“This is likely to be because of the wet spring and now the colder than normal temperatures.
“Butterflies need some warmth and dry conditions to be able to fly around and mate – if the weather doesn’t allow them to do this there will be fewer opportunities to breed.”
![Holly blue butterflies are increasingly being seen in Scotland as climate change brings warmer temperatures further north](/https/www.telegraph.co.uk/content/dam/news/2024/07/11/TELEMMGLPICT000384040838_17207254355990_trans_NvBQzQNjv4Bq9CHTadMEvkjj9yNgSg0MCv4Xpit_DMGvdp2n7FDd82k.jpeg?imwidth=350)
The charity is also asking people to monitor species as figures show that butterflies are moving northwards as the climate warms overall.
Experts analysed 50 years of data and discovered a northward spread for many species including common garden butterflies such as the peacock, comma and holly blue.
Holly blues, once only seen in England and Wales are increasingly turning up in Scotland, while red admirals, a migratory species that previously flew south to Europe in the winter, are now living in Britain all year around.
Butterfly Conservation has warned that 80 per cent of species of butterflies are in decline, because of habitat loss, changes to farming, pesticides, and climate change, but some are thriving.
Dr Zoë Randle, senior surveys officer at Butterfly Conservation, said: “Thirty years ago you wouldn’t have seen a holly blue in Scotland.
“We’re also seeing other species which have previously suffered severe declines, such as the comma, recovering, with a huge increase of 94 per cent in where it is found.
‘Serious red flags’
“These highly adaptable species are all able to move into new places as the climate warms, but for habitat specific species these trends raise serious red flags.
“Species that rely on particular habitats aren’t able to move as freely as our garden favourites.
“This means that, if climate change continues, they could become trapped in isolated fragments of remaining habitat, unable to move and with their food plants at risk from adverse weather conditions, facing the very real threat of extinction.”
Butterfly Conservation wants people to take part in the annual Big Butterfly Count, to help scientists understand more about the northward move of butterflies as temperatures rise.
People should spend 15 minutes in a sunny spot and count how many butterflies they see.
Sir David Attenborough, the president of Butterfly Conservation, said: “The UK is a nation of amateur naturalists, and we have a proud tradition of celebrating and studying our wildlife.
“Every single person taking part in the Big Butterfly Count helps to build a picture of how butterflies are faring and how we can best conserve them.
“A few precious moments spent watching a stunning red admiral or peacock butterfly feeding amongst the flowers in my garden never fails to bring me great pleasure.”
This year’s Big Butterfly Count runs from Friday July 12 to Sunday Aug 4.