Wildlife Trust has revealed that heath fritillary butterflies, once close to extinction, have been seen at the nature reserve in record numbers.
According to BBC, the Essex Wildlife Trust reported that it had counted 218 heath fritillary butterflies at Pound Wood Nature Reserve near Hadleigh, Essex, in 2024.
The trust spokeswoman said, “The heath fritillary butterfly was once close to extinction in the UK, but thanks to conservation efforts, numbers are on the rise.”
She noted, “This year, 218 were recorded at Pound Wood Nature Reserve in south Essex, making it the highest number the trust has seen to date,” adding, “Previously, record numbers of 148 heath fritillary butterflies were announced in 2019.”
She said that heath fritillaries live in sunny, warm and sheltered environments while they are found only from May to July.
The spokeswoman further added, “Colonies of this delicate butterfly occupy sheltered and coppiced woodland in the south-east of England where their larval food plant, common cow-wheat, is present.”
As per the trust representative, “The trust, alongside dedicated volunteers, has been carefully managing ancient woodland to maintain this specialized habitat for over a decade.”
She concluded, “Despite this success story, reports show that 80% of the UK’s butterfly species have declined in abundance and/or distribution in the last 50 years.”
