"Butterfly emergency" as Sussex sees drastic drop in species
It's been the "worst summer" in the Big Butterfly Count's history - with Sussex seeing an 81% loss in some types of butterfly
Conservationists have declared a "butterfly emergency" - with some species down by as much as 81% in Sussex.
This summer's Big Butterfly Count has shown the worst results in fourteen years - with participants here counting an average of just nine butterflies each versus last year's thirteen.
9,000 counts nationally were logged as seeing no butterflies - the highest in the history of the citizen science scheme, which asks people to submit their results even if they do not see any of the insects in their 15-minute count.
"The worst summer in the count's history"
Butterfly Conservation said it was the worst summer in the count's history for butterflies including the common and holly blues, green-veined and small whites, small tortoiseshell, painted lady and Scotch argus.
And four-fifths (81%) of species showed declines in the number of butterflies this year compared to those seen in 2023.
In Sussex, Holly Blue butterflies were down by 81%, and the Peacock species was down 74%.
The charity says butterflies were hit by a wet spring and cool summer - but warn that the natural variations in numbers of insects, which are affected by the weather, come on top of long-term serious declines.
Loss of habitat to blame
Dr Richard Fox, head of science at Butterfly Conservation, said declines are driven by loss of habitat in the 1970s and 1980s as it was ploughed up or built on, and ongoing degradation of the landscape since, including from pesticide pollution, while extreme weather from climate change is taking its toll.
And he said intensive management of the countryside and gardens, including from an "obsession with tidiness that's just really bad for nature" was also having an impact.
Butterfly Conservation is writing an open letter to Environment Secretary Steve Reed, calling on the Government to declare a "nature emergency" and ban neonicotinoid pesticides with no exceptions.
Zoe Randle, their Senior Surveys Officer, explained the impact:
"They do cause paralysis and death of the crop pests - which is what they want.
"These chemicals can spread and make their way into field margins.
"They're taken up for non crop plants - adult butterflies and moths are basically drinking contaminated nectar, and the caterpillars are also feeding on contaminated plants."