I was hiking in the Langdales last August when I came across a field of thistle, which was attracting the attention of a large number of butterflies. Unfortunately, such scenes are becoming an ever-rarer site in the UK. Almost a third of butterflies in Europe are in decline and one in ten is threatened with extinction. This also has a severe knock-on effect for the plant species which rely on butterflies for pollination. A recent report by Natural England has found that that the number of butterflies in the UK has decreased by almost a quarter since 1880. The report also found that 75% of UK butterfly species are currently in decline.
Did you know? Butterflies and moths are found on all land masses, except Antarctica.
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