Latest news with #WoodWhite
Miami Herald
a day ago
- General
- Miami Herald
Rare creature seen laying eggs in Wales decades after going locally extinct
After receiving a report about the presence of a rare insect in Wales, a team of conservationists got to work surveying the area. Their efforts paid off — and revealed a 'new hope' for a species that went locally extinct decades ago. Clare Boyes, the Montgomeryshire county recorder for a butterfly conservation group, learned about a sighting of a wood white butterfly near Newtown in early May and immediately knew she needed to investigate, the organization Butterfly Conservation said in an Aug. 13 news release. Wood whites are 'one of the rarest butterflies in the (United Kingdom),' the organization said. 'The species used to have a permanent colony in south-east Wales but that died out several decades ago and there have only been sporadic sightings since.' Boyes coordinated with Natural Resources Wales to survey some sites around Newtown. With their permission, the fieldwork took place in July and included Boyes, volunteer Richard Bullock and Alan Sumnall, the organization's head of conservation for Wales. Scouring the forests, the team eventually documented several more wood white butterflies, 'including a female laying eggs,' at three additional locations, the organization said. A photo shows one of these 'delicate cream-coloured' butterflies. 'Its wings have furry edges,' the group said, and its antennae are 'striped.' The wood white butterflies in Wales 'almost certainly' originated from a nearby region of England where conservationists are 'doing targeted conservation work to maintain Wood White populations,' Butterfly Conservation said. Wood white butterflies used to be more widespread in the U.K. but their distribution 'declined by 76 per cent between 1992 and 2019' due to habitat loss, the group said. The recent sightings of wood whites 'is new hope for the species in Wales,' Butterfly Conservation said. 'This is really exciting news for us,' Sumnall said in the release. 'Butterflies have suffered terribly in recent years because of human actions, but now we have a real success story — a new species for Wales — and what's more it's the result of fantastic, targeted conservation work by our team.' 'We always love to see butterflies and moths doing well in the UK,' Dan Hoare, the director of nature recovery with Butterfly Conservation, said in the release. The organization plans 'to do further surveys next spring' to continue monitoring the wood white butterfly around Newtown. Newtown is in central Wales, near the border with England and a roughly 190-mile drive northwest from London.
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Science
- South Wales Argus
Extremely rare Wood White butterfly found in Wales
The endangered Wood White has been recorded at four sites in Wales this summer, suggesting the species is recolonising Wales decades after its last population died out. Alan Sumnall, head of conservation for Wales at Butterfly Conservation, said: "This is really exciting news for us. "Butterflies have suffered terribly in recent years because of human actions, but now we have a real success story – a new species for Wales – and what's more it's the result of fantastic, targeted conservation work by our team." The Wood White was known to have a permanent colony in south-east Wales. It is believed the new arrivals have spread from Shropshire, where targeted conservation efforts have supported population growth. The first sighting in Wales was reported on May 9 at an NRW-owned site near Newtown. Further surveys are planned for next spring to monitor the butterfly's progress.
BBC News
7 days ago
- Science
- BBC News
White Wood butterflies found in Powys after decades-long absence
One of the rarest butterflies in the UK has returned Wales, decades after last being seen in the endangered Wood White, known for its delicate cream colour and striped antennae, was recorded at four sites in Powys by the Butterfly Conservation, including a female laying species used to have a permanent colony in south-east Wales but died out several decades ago due to a destruction of habitat, with only some "sporadic sightings" Conservation said butterflies had suffered in recent years "because of human actions" but now there was new hope for conservationists, with a "real success story" in the new species in Wales. Since 1979, the species' abundance has decreased by 82% at its few remaining sites. Butterfly Conservation said the new arrivals "almost certainly" come from sites just over the border in Shropshire, where targeted conservation work has been ongoing to maintain Wood White charity said its conservation team saw at least four individuals, including a female laying eggs, at Natural Resources Wales (NRW) sites at now plan to do further surveys next spring and are in contact with NRW to discuss managing roadside verges along forestry plantation roads. The news comes after a host of "surprising butterfly and moth activity", the charity said, much of it linked to this year's record-breaking Conservation have recorded 18 species of butterfly emerging at least two weeks earlier than average, with a further 24 species at least a week Dr Dan Hoare, Butterfly Conservation director of nature recovery, said while the charity loved to see butterflies and moths doing well in the UK, there were "going to be winners and losers from the very rapid climate change we're experiencing".Dr Hoare added: "One way we can increase the number of climate winners is by managing habitats positively so that threatened species can benefit as well as widespread mobile species."That means creating and maintaining good quality, connected habitat at a landscape scale, which Butterfly Conservation has been doing for years and will continue to do."
Powys County Times
06-08-2025
- General
- Powys County Times
Rare butterfly spotted in Mid Wales for first time in years
A rare butterfly has been spotted in Mid Wales for the first time in recent years. The Wood White butterfly, one of the UK's rarest species, has been recorded at four separate sites in North Powys this summer. Three of these sightings were in forestry plantations close to the Kerry Ridgeway, while the fourth was at Roundton Hill, a Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust reserve. The butterfly, which has suffered a decline in numbers, had not been recorded in Wales recently, though it has been spotted in the Forest of Dean sporadically. The resurgence of the Wood White butterfly in Shropshire, due to the efforts of Butterfly Conservation and Forestry England, is believed to have contributed to its appearance in Mid Wales. The first report of a Wood White butterfly in Mid Wales this year came in May when Clare Boyes, the butterfly recorder for Montgomeryshire, received a report via iRecord from Coed Cefn-craig near Newtown. The sighting was made on May 9 by Martyn Moore. Though an initial visit by Ms Boyes, Simon Spencer, and Richard Bullock in early June did not yield any sightings, further surveys in July revealed a colony of several individuals at Siercwm, including a female laying eggs. Another group was found in an outlier block of forest in the City near Sarn. The local butterfly group plans to conduct further surveys next spring and is in talks with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) to discuss the management of roadside verges along the forestry plantation roads. This strategy has been successful in Shropshire, and the group looks forward to improving the fortunes of this butterfly further. The planned urgent work by NRW on the dam will proceed without the need to relocate food plants.
Daily Record
10-06-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
Brits with butterflies in garden told to take urgent action 'before it's too late'
The UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme has released the latest annual results and they show that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies in the UK Gardeners who are lucky enough to have butterflies gracing their gardens are being urged to take immediate action, following alarming new data showing a significant drop in butterfly numbers over the past year. The most recent annual findings from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, published on 28 March 2025, reveal that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies in the UK. The situation is even more dire in certain areas. In Devon, four butterfly species have seen their numbers plummet to the lowest levels in at least a decade, according to fresh data from Butterfly Conservation. Data from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme and Butterflies highlight substantial declines in populations of Wood White, Small Heath and Silver-washed and Dark Green Fritillaries. Local recorder Pete Hurst told Bird Guides that habitat destruction, large-scale pesticide use and increasingly unpredictable weather patterns due to climate change have left already dwindling populations unable to bounce back. He labelled the figures as "concerning", pointing out that Silver-washed Fritillary was down 38% compared to the 10-year average and Dark Green Fritillary down 60%. These results mirror a broader national trend, with 2024 identified as the fifth-worst year for butterflies across the UK, and over half of all species now experiencing long-term decline for the first time on record. Gardeners are being encouraged to play their part in boosting butterfly numbers. The Woodland Trust suggests that one of the most effective ways to do this is by providing food sources - flowers. Butterfly-friendly plants. Butterflies are nectar feeders, so a straightforward method to attract more butterflies to your garden is to plant a variety of vibrant flowers. Butterflies are drawn to blooms such as bluebell, lavender, red campion, cornflower, primrose, bird's-foot-trefoil and clover. Buddleia is also a butterfly favourite, however, the Woodland Trust advises against it due to its invasive nature, which can rapidly spread and potentially harm other native plants. Ensure your flowers are planted in a bright, sunny area that's protected from the wind. If space is limited, consider using a window box or large pot. Fruit trees. The juice from ripe fruit provides essential energy for butterflies during autumn, while spring blossoms serve as an excellent nectar source for pollinators. Other plants. While they may not be the first choice, these plants also aid butterflies. Some have flowers that benefit adult butterflies, while others serve as valuable food sources for caterpillars. Create a butterfly feeder. In addition to planting for butterflies and their caterpillars, you can also assist by providing a sweet treat to give them an energy boost. This is particularly beneficial in autumn when many plants cease flowering and nectar becomes less accessible. Add a quarter cup of sugar to two cups of water and heat in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved. Allow it to cool for at least 30 minutes. Immerse a brightly-coloured cloth in the sugary water and position it near some flowers. Alternatively, you could place overripe fruit in a warm, sunny spot. Mushy bananas are particularly popular – butterflies adore their sweet, sticky texture. ----------------. The UK butterfly abundance statistics from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (UKBMS), spearheaded by Butterfly Conservation, the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH), British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and JNCC, provide butterfly population trends from 1976 to 2024 at a UK level for 58 of the 59 regularly occurring species. Overall, the most recent data reveals that 2024 was one of the worst years on record for butterflies in the UK, ranking 45th in the 49-year series. For the first time since monitoring began, more than half of butterfly species (31 out of 59) in the UK are now experiencing long-term decline, with nine species having their worst recorded year, including Small Tortoiseshell, Chalk Hill Blue and Small Copper. Moreover, common butterflies, which inhabit gardens, parks and the wider countryside, experienced their second-worst year since 1976. In the shorter term, compared to the previous year (2023), 51 of the UK's 59 species declined in 2024, while six species showed an increase. Steve Wilkinson, Director of Ecosystem Evidence and Advice at JNCC, earlier this year remarked on the crucial nature of wildlife monitoring following insights from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme: "The results revealed by the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme highlights why robust wildlife monitoring is absolutely essential for conservation. Without the dedicated efforts of thousands of volunteers tracking butterfly numbers, we wouldn't fully understand the scale of this decline." He elaborated on the significance of such comprehensive surveillance: "This comprehensive surveillance allows us to identify which species need urgent intervention, track long-term trends, and measure the effectiveness of our conservation efforts. The UKBMS data doesn't just tell us about butterflies – it provides a critical indicator of the health of our wider environment. In the face of habitat loss and climate change, these monitoring schemes provide the evidence base we need to take meaningful action before it's too late."
