Environment

Britain's prodigal butterfly has returned after over 50 years

by Karenke4 | January 6, 2009 at 05:14 pm

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The large tortoiseshell butterfly has returned to Britain after a long absence according to some wildlife observers.

This butterfly hasn't been seen in abundance since WWII though efforts have been made to revive the species in captivity. In past years, sightings were likely from migratory specimens from Europe, but there has been little evidence to suggest that the species was breeding in Britain.

Matthew Oates, nature and wildlife adviser at the National Trust, said the number of sightings suggest the butterfly is breeding in Britain again.

"It's very hard to prove but seemingly it's trying to come back home," he said.

"The butterfly fizzled out in the UK in the first half of the 20th century and has not been helped by bad weather in the past two years.

"But I am confident large tortoiseshells will be spotted again this spring. We urged anyone who catches a glimpse to try and take a photograph."

Researchers are not sure why the population dwindled to such sparse numbers in the second half of the 20th century, but blame habitat loss and increased numbers of birds that feed on the caterpillars.

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Paschen

at 20:31 on January 6th, 2009

That is good news. However the pictures look more like Monarch Butterfly's.

Sally Turner (not verified)

at 00:12 on January 7th, 2009

There has never been any shortage of these in Kent until last year. I didn't see any here last summer. The photo I took was in France.

SallyT.

at 00:19 on January 7th, 2009

Photo taken in Britany, France.

SallyT. has contributed a photo to this story.

storic

at 01:49 on January 7th, 2009

The Tortoiseshell butterflies were very few and far between in my garden this very wet summer. The most prolific butterfly was the Peacock, but during late July I managed to photograph three Tortoiseshell butterflies on my Buddleia. Taken in County Durham, England.

PS I have fields backing onto my garden and believe the Tortoiseshell butterfly breeds on stinging nettles - although am not absolutely certain.

jmuchaxo

at 17:33 on January 7th, 2009

The pictures I have added to the photoset were taken in Portugal. It is not easy to find around here, in fact I only saw it once when I was with a nature guide on a quite special place that is Salvaterra do Extremo (R. Douro).

jmuchaxo has contributed a photo to this story.

Steven Cheshire (www.britishbutterflies.co.uk) (not verified)

at 15:09 on February 8th, 2009

Hi all

The photos shown here are actually of the Small Tortoiseshell which is a common garden butterfly in the UK although it has seen a big decline due to the apparent increase in a parasite (Sturmia bella) which feeds on its caterpillars.

The LARGE TORTOISESHELL is very rare in the UK and became extinct here as a breeding species after the second world war. However, occassional sightings, thought to be of migrants from Europe have been reported while last year in 2008, it is thiught the the Large Tortoiseshell bred in the UK for the first time at Branscombe, Devon.