Large tortoiseshell butterfly confirmed no longer extinct in UK

"The large tortoiseshell is a tree-dwelling butterfly whose caterpillars feed on trees including elm, willow, aspen and poplar. It is bigger, as its name suggests, and lacks the white markings found on its more widespread counterpart. The loss of elms due Dutch elm disease was once considered a factor in the large tortoiseshell's extinction in the UK by the 1960s."

"Britain's list of native butterflies has increased to 60 with the return of the insect after individuals emerged from hibernation in woodlands in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight. The sightings have led Butterfly Conservation to declare the large tortoiseshell a resident species in the UK as opposed to a migratory one for the first time in the charity's 58-year history."

"It's not well-established enough yet to say it's definitely back for good and will be widespread across multiple landscapes we're still in that zone of uncertainty at the moment, but there are exciting signs. The species' return is now assisted by global heating. It last flourished in Britain during a run of fine summers in the 1940s, but in recent years growing numbers have migrated across the North Sea and the Channel."

The large tortoiseshell butterfly has returned to Britain after becoming extinct in the last century, with individuals emerging from hibernation across Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Cornwall, and the Isle of Wight. Butterfly Conservation has declared it a resident species for the first time in its 58-year history, increasing Britain's native butterfly list to 60 species. The tree-dwelling butterfly, which feeds on elm, willow, aspen, and poplar, differs from the smaller tortoiseshell by lacking white wingtip markings. While Dutch elm disease was previously blamed for extinction, scientists now believe Britain was at the species' natural range limit. Global warming has facilitated the butterfly's return, with populations migrating across the North Sea and Channel from continental Europe.

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