Saturday 21 April 2012

Record spring respite for rare butterflies

UK butterflies 2011 - The good, the bad and the ugly
April 2012. Last year's record-breaking spring helped some of the UK's rarest butterflies recover following years of decline, a scientific study has revealed. The hot, dry weather provided perfect conditions for early spring specialists enabling them to benefit from extended flight periods as they emerged weeks earlier than usual.

Duke of Burgundy
The threatened Duke of Burgundy bucked a trend of recent declines as its population rose by 65% between 2010 and 2011. Other rare spring butterflies prospered - the Grizzled Skipper recorded a rise of 96% and the scarce Pearl-bordered Fritillary saw numbers jump by 103%.
Long-term decline
But despite last year's much-needed respite, many of our most threatened butterflies remain in a state of long-term decline and need further targeted conservation work to turn their fortunes around permanently.

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