This blog may help people explore some of the 'hidden' issues involved in certain media treatments of environmental and scientific issues. Using personal digital images, it's also intended to emphasise seasonal (and other) changes in natural history of the Swansea (South Wales) area. The material should help participants in field-based modules and people generally interested in the natural world. The views are wholly those of the author.
Saturday 9 July 2022
Return of the Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly?
The Large tortoiseshell butterfly (Nymphalis polychloros), officially and mysteriously, became extinct in the UK in the 1950s (https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jul/08/officially-extinct-butterfly-large-tortoiseshell-making-a-comeback-in-uk). The larvae of the Large tortoiseshell feed on the leaves of a variety of scrubland trees. Occassional adult butterflies reaching the UK coast, were dismissed as being off-the-track migrants. Since 2019, however, small numbers of Large tortoiseshell butterflies have been repeatedly found on Dorset's island of Portland. There was clear evidence of breeding in that location. More recently, another breeding colony has been located on rewilded farmland in Knepp, Sussex. Perhaps the number of UK butterfly species will be ratcheted back up to 60?
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