Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly Officially Returns to UK After 60 Years, Thanks to Climate Change and Conservation Efforts
Conservationists declare the striking species a UK resident again after multiple sightings in southern England, marking a rare success in wildlife recovery
The large tortoiseshell butterfly (Nymphalis polychloros), once declared extinct in the UK in the 1960s, has been officially confirmed as a resident species again after a surge of sightings in Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, Dorset, Cornwall, and the Isle of Wight. The return follows decades of absence and is attributed to warmer temperatures, natural migration from Europe, and successful breeding in the wild. Conservationists at Butterfly Conservation have added the species to the UK’s official butterfly list—now 60 species strong—for the first time in the charity’s 58-year history. While the butterfly is not yet widespread, its re-establishment is a promising sign for UK biodiversity.