Latest news with #SmallTortoiseshell
Irish Independent
17-05-2025
- Science
- Irish Independent
Nature Trail: The Small Tortoiseshell is a familiar butterfly
There is, or course, a Large Tortoiseshell, but that butterfly has never been recorded in Ireland. It used to be widespread in Britain, but the population went into sharp decline and the species was declared extinct in the UK by the 1960s. It is reported to be still common in parts of mainland Europe. In addition to the Small Tortoiseshell being one of the most common and widespread butterflies found in Ireland, it is common and widespread throughout its large geographical range that extends in a broad band across all of Europe and Asia from Ireland to Japan and reaching as far north as Siberia and as far south as Saudi Arabia. The adults overwintered by coming indoors in autumn to benefit from the warmer and drier conditions found in our homes and outbuildings. An insect may have found a refuge in the folds of curtains and hibernated there causing no harm or disturbance to the householders who may have been unaware of the presence of an uninvited guest sharing their home. Prompted by the arrival of springtime, overwintering adults emerged from hibernation and took flight to find early-flowering Dandelions offering a welcome supply of nectar to give the insects their first feed and the sugar hit needed to get them active again after their extended period of inactivity caused by winter. There is evidence that the species migrates, but little is known about what proportion of the insects on the wing in springtime is made up of local residents recently emerged from hibernation and what proportion comprises immigrants arriving from abroad. Locals, immigrants, males and females are all remarkably similar in appearance, so little can be gleaned from a casual sighting of one colourful insect. Adults are breeding at present, and eggs are being laid on the leaves of Common Nettle. Large nettle beds are essential for the survival of the caterpillars before their parents die. All going well, the next generation of adults will be flying from next July onwards.
BBC News
02-04-2025
- General
- BBC News
Half of butterfly species in long-term decline
More than half of UK butterfly species are now in long-term decline, according to a monitoring scheme run by a group of conservation organisations. The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme said the year 2024 was the worst on record for butterflies in the UK. One organisation is calling on people to not cut their grass for the next six months in order to create more habitat for butterflies and other Small Tortoiseshell, Chalk Hill Blue and Small Copper are three of the butterflies that have suffered a particular decline. The monitoring scheme by the charity Butterfly Conservation, the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) has been running since 1976. Volunteers count butterflies across more than 3,000 monitoring revealed 51 of the UK's 59 butterfly species declined last year compared with 2023, while just six was the second worst year on record for common butterflies that live in gardens, parks and the wider said that butterfly numbers do vary from year to year. Last year's low numbers are partly because of the wet spring and relatively cool summer, which did not provide good conditions for winged insects to feed and the monitoring data also shows that for the first time, more than half of the UK's butterfly species are in long-term decline. The number of Small Tortoiseshell, for example, has gone down 86% since 1976, and the Green-veined White has seen a 28% destruction, use of pesticides and climate change are some of the reasons blamed for the decline. Several species are listed on the red list, which means they are in danger of extinction. These include the Grizzled Skipper, Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary and Chalk Hill said those species required specific habitat to survive, which had been destroyed over the past century.A 'butterfly emergency' was declared after the low results of the citizen science Big Butterfly Count last Fox from Butterfly Conservation said many people since then have been asking what they can do to organisation is calling on people to not cut their grass between April and September, saying this simple act can make a lot of difference to moths, butterflies and other wildlife."By far the best thing we can do to help butterflies is to create more habitat," he said.
