The UK could be experiencing a once-in-a-decade wildlife phenomenon this year with a mass influx of painted lady butterflies, experts have said.
TV naturalist Chris Packham is urging people to take part in the world’s largest insect citizen science survey, the annual Big Butterfly Count, to see if the painted ladies are arriving in their millions to the UK’s shores this year.
The butterfly is a common immigrant from the Continent to the UK each summer where its caterpillars feed on thistles.
But around once every 10 years there is a painted lady “summer” when millions arrive en masse.
Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, which runs the Big Butterfly Count, said unusually high numbers have been reported across Europe over the spring and early summer with large numbers now spotted crossing to the UK.
The last mass immigration took place in 2008 when around 11 million painted ladies migrated to the UK.
Mr Packham, who is vice- president of Butterfly Conservation, said the painted lady migration was “one of the wonders of the natural world”.
“Travelling up to 1km in the sky and at speeds of up to 30 miles per hour these seemingly fragile creatures migrate hundreds of miles to reach our shores each year.
“This butterfly undertakes an extraordinary 7,500-mile round trip from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle every year. It can turn up anywhere so please take part in the Big Butterfly Count.”
To take part in the count or for more information visit www.bigbutterflycount.org.
