Butterfly Conservation has launched the first-ever public vote to determine Britain's favourite butterfly, with the poll open until 7 June. Voters can choose from 60 species that fly across the UK each summer, including the small tortoiseshell, purple emperor, and brimstone.
Julie Williams, chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, said: 'It’s clear Britain is a nation of butterfly lovers. From Sir David Attenborough and the royal family to the hundreds of thousands of people who have taken part in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count, these incredible insects hold a very special place in our hearts.' A recent survey found butterflies were the most-loved creatures from people's childhoods.
The contest follows similar competitions for Britain's favourite bird, won by the robin in 2015, and the Guardian's invertebrate of the year. Among the contenders is the purple emperor, a treetop-dwelling butterfly known for feeding on fox scat and horse manure, yet thriving due to global heating. The small copper, Britain's only bright copper-coloured butterfly, is a feisty, territorial species found from Land's End to Orkney.
The small tortoiseshell, once a garden favourite, has declined in southern and central England, possibly due to global heating. The large blue, extinct in 1979, was successfully reintroduced from Sweden and now has more individuals in Britain than anywhere else in the world. The swallowtail, a subspecies confined to the Norfolk Broads, is the UK's nearest endemic butterfly.
