Nature enthusiasts in the United Kingdom are celebrating the remarkable return of the striking Large Tortoiseshell Butterfly, a species once thought lost from the country.
The butterfly had not been considered a resident of the UK since the 1960s, largely due to the devastation caused by Dutch Elm Disease, which wiped out many of the elm trees its caterpillars depend on for food.
However, after several years of consistent sightings across southern England, conservationists now believe the species has re-established itself. The charity Butterfly Conservation has officially recognised the insect as the country’s 60th resident butterfly species.
Richard Fox, the organisation’s head of science, said the development is encouraging, though experts are still monitoring how widely the species will spread.
“The signs are really positive,” Fox said. “It is resident and therefore another species to add to Britain’s total, which is good news.”
Sightings have been reported across several regions including Kent, Dorset, Isle of Wight, Sussex, Hampshire, and Cornwall.
Caterpillars of the large tortoiseshell typically hatch on trees and feed on the leaves of elm, willow, aspen, and poplar. Scientists believe the UK sits near the northern edge of the butterfly’s natural range, and warmer temperatures across Europe may now be making the country a more suitable habitat.
Although sightings had been recorded since 2006, butterflies can migrate long distances, meaning early appearances were initially thought to be temporary visitors rather than signs of a permanent return.
That changed in 2020 when the first wild caterpillars were discovered in Dorset, confirming that the species had begun breeding again in the UK.
Conservationists are now encouraging the public to report sightings through iRecord, a citizen-science platform that helps researchers track the butterfly’s expanding range.
For wildlife lovers, the return of the large tortoiseshell marks a hopeful chapter in the recovery of Britain’s native species.