An admiral success - but other species may be declining

One of the British Isles' most striking butterflies, the red admiral, has enjoyed a surge in numbers in the last year, according to Butterfly Conservation.

The charity says people who took part in its Big Butterfly Count recorded an increase of up to 223% in numbers. The organisation received data showing more than 73,000 of the insects were recorded during a three week period. Scientists say the number is higher than the combined figures for the past three years - and the highest number recorded since the project began in 2010.

It's thought a mild winter and warm spring gave the butterfly the boost it needed. Migrants arriving from Europe and those that had overwintered in the British Isles enjoyed warm temperatures and dry conditions and so took advantage of the untypical weather to enjoy an early, successful breeding season. Red Admirals performed particularly well in Scotland where the rise of 223% was recorded. In England it rose by 75%.

However, it isn't good news for all lepidoptera. A soggy July and August meant that it wasn't a great year for three common species of white butterfly. They all experienced declines in England, Scotland and Wales. Numbers of large white, small white and green-veined white all fell in comparison to previous years. Happily in Northern Ireland the three species bucked the trend, increasing in numbers and topping the chart of the most commonly seen butterflies in the country.

More than 60,000 people took part in the count; the world’s largest butterfly survey. Butterfly Conservation says more than 550,000 individual butterflies were recorded during the three-week period.