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The UK Is About to Experience a Butterfly Boom

United Kingdom Wildlife News
by Eben Diskin Aug 5, 2019

The UK is about to experience a butterfly boom thanks to this summer’s heat wave. As reported by The Guardian, experts predict that high temperatures in July and projected above-average August temperatures will lead to a surge in the common blue butterfly. The number of common blue butterflies increased by 104 percent from summer 2017 to summer 2018.

You’ll recognize the common blue butterfly by its wings. Males have bright blue, unmarked wings, while females have orange crescents and dark spots near the edge of their purple or dark brown wings.

Butterfly Conservation is encouraging people to help monitor all butterflies — there are 59 species of butterflies in the UK, the the common blue being the most common — by participating in the Big Butterfly Count population survey, which runs until August 11.

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