A conservation group has reported the sighting of a previously thought-to-be extinct butterfly in the southern region of England. The Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly has been spotted in various locations including Kent, Sussex, The Isle of Wight, Cornwall, and Dorset, leading Butterfly Conservation to reclassify the species as now breeding in the UK rather than being migratory.
This marks the first time since the 1980s that the butterfly has been designated in this manner. Professor Richard Fox from Butterfly Conservation mentioned to the BBC that the return of the butterfly to Britain is likely due to climate changes pushing increased numbers across its European habitat.
The Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly, larger than its relative the small tortoiseshell, typically resides in trees. It can be distinguished by its lack of white dots on wing tips, unlike the smaller tortoiseshell butterfly that frequents gardens.
Caterpillars of the Large Tortoiseshell feed on leaves from elms, willow, aspen, and poplar trees. While Dutch elm disease was once believed to have contributed to the decline of this species, experts now attribute its return to the UK to global warming, as it falls within its natural range.
This comeback aligns with the trend of various species reestablishing themselves in the UK due to warmer conditions. Butterfly Conservation has urged the public to report sightings of the Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly on the iRecord app to help track their reproduction locations.