The BTO have just reported that 56% of UK butterfly species have been recorded in gardens. It shows how important gardens are to UK wildlife, to learn more sign up to the Butterfly Conservation newsletter for monthly tips on how to attract more butterflies to your garden buff.ly/6xHYo5j

For the first time, humans have tracked an individual butterfly, as shown in the Monarch migration of north America. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/17/s... @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

The number of butterflies at risk of extinction across Europe has increased significantly in the past 15 years, a new assessment has warned:

Great news:

Good news for people wanting to see migrant species of butterflies and moths. Not so good for our Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Clouded Yellow trying to fly south though.

At Landguard this morning and if it wasn't for the lingering Pallas's Warbler and Barred Warbler you could be forgiven for thinking that autumn migration was over but during a couple of brief sunny spells 2 Clouded Yellows, one Helice and a single Small Copper brightened things up somewhat

We're thrilled to share this film featuring some of the dedicated volunteers who monitor butterflies for the UKBMS A huge thank you to them, and everyone who's supported the scheme over the last 50 years. #UKBMS50 youtu.be/OrF5AgseX1U?...

As the sun was out in Felixstowe, Butterflies seemed a good choice either side of lunchtime for a walk to the butts area Landguard which produced 3 Clouded Yellows 5 Small Copper 1 Small White and a Red Admiral

Why isn't this a bigger story? The joint intelligence committee prepare a report saying our national security is at risk from environmental collapse. And No. 10 bury because they don't to draw attention to how little they care! @snellarthur.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/environment/...

What frightens me most about Halloween cobwebs isn’t how they look…..it’s that they catch the living. Enjoy the season, but keep the plastic webs indoors; or skip them altogether.

The new European Butterfly Red List is published today, with worrying findings. Over 1/4 (28%) of Europe’s 442 species are threatened with extinction or are close to being so. The situation is far worse for our 148 endemic species, 40% are now threatened or nearly so www.bc-europe.eu/webpage.php?...

Lovely sunshine and a few butterflies still fluttering about at Ilketshall St Andrew common and field edges @savebutterflies.bsky.social @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

Press briefing today at IUCN Global Biodiversity Conference, giving results of the new Red List of European butterflies. It’s not good. Full details will be published tomorrow. Watch this space @europebutterfly.bsky.social

Clouded Yellow at Aldeburgh Town Marshes today. @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

Sat 11th Oct 2025 2.15 pm Suffolk Branch Members' Afternoon 2025 at Earl Stonham Village Hall, IP14 5HJ Pete Eeles will be our guest speaker. He runs the UK Butterflies website & has recently published British and Irish Butterfly Rarities See suffolkbutterflies.org.uk

Let's hear it for Ivy! An often misunderstood plant, but one which has incredible benefits for wildlife. 🦋🐝🐦

Bit of a Clouded Yellow day at Landguard this p.m. with a walk around the Butts area only producing 19 individuals including 2 Helice females, a single Hummingbird Hawkmoth and 5 Stonechats at the nw end.

Hello October! Or should that be Moth-tober? 🎃🦋 With autumn well underway, keep an eye out for these butterflies and moths in your gardens and local green spaces.

The Painted Lady (distelvlinder, V cardui) was only seen in low numbers on Dutch Butterfly Monitoring transects this year. It is a migrant species, and the graphs show that 1996, 2003, 2009 and 2019 had large invasions, the other years just a few managed their way to NL.

#Southernsmallwhite - Pieris mannii - is still active in my area E of #Ghent, Belgium. This one was in the garden yesterday. It is a typical autumn female; lots of dusting between discal and apical spot, discal spot not confined by the veins and a vague discal spot on hindwing. #urbanbiodiversity

....and thats a wrap! Today is the last day to carry out a survey for the 'core' UKBMS survey weeks. 🤞 the weather has been good enough to fit in your final survey. Don't forget to get all your data entered by the END OF OCT, otherwise it may not be included in the analysis 📋 📊 Thank you!

Painted Lady in #Bath #Somerset #UK. These butterflies make the incredible 9000 mile journey from tropical Africa to the Arctic Circle & back each year in around 6 successive generations #nature #wildlife #wildlifephotography #naturephotography #ukwildlife #bathnature #butterfly

Seven of nine planetary boundaries now breached – ocean acidification joins the danger zone," says PIK director Johan Rockström presenting the key findings of the Planetary Health Check 2025 today. #PlanetaryBoundaries ➡️ www.pik-potsdam.de/en/news/late...

Its week 26, the final week of our 50th survey season! 🎺 🎉 🦋 🥳 A HUGE thank you to all the fantastic volunteers for walking transects, recording butterflies and entering data this year. Your efforts greatly contribute to our understanding of butterfly populations and helps us conserve them ❤️

A growing number of biologists believe that insects could be sentient, and that we must do more to minimise any pain or stress we cause them.... thebiologist.rsb.org.uk/biologist-fe...

Convolvulus Hawk-moth @Bawdsey_Hall last night. @BC_Suffolk @MigrantMothUK

This graph from @metoffice.gov.uk says it all about this summer's weather. Every month was at least a degree warmer than the average 20 years ago. Butterflies mostly did well but how will the drought have affected them? @savebutterflies.bsky.social

See also our recent press release: www.ceh.ac.uk/press/positi... And the full paper in @jappliedecology.bsky.social besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #butterflies #NatureFriendlyFarming

BBC News - Rare butterfly spotted near Newcastle for first time since 1850 - BBC News www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Yesterday, the UK’s leading insect conservation charities launched the Declaration on the UK Insect Declines Crisis at the @WildSummitUK🚨 This united front calls for change across governments, land managers, businesses, and the public. @savebutterflies.bsky.social 1/5

Butterflies need two things to thrive: good weather and a healthy environment ☀️🌱 Join us in asking UK retailers to remove synthetic pesticides from sale for a wilder, butterfly-filled future for generations to come 👉 https://butterflyemergency.good.do/rescue-mission/

One made it all the way to Cornwall this year and a few have reached as far north as the Netherlands according to Dutch Monitoring. Tiny butterflies covering big distances. @bc-suffolk.bsky.social

After 10 yrs Peter Maddison is stepping down as Chair of our Branch we need a new Chair If you are enthusiastic about conservation of butterflies (& moths) & their habitats would like to work with other volunteers and partner organisations then consider volunteering details suffolkbutterflies.org.uk

Any improvement in butterfly numbers is welcome but this is a good year in an overall cycle of constant decline. Britain is the most nature depleted country in Europe. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Perhaps not quite the amazing butterfly summer many of us experienced. I know @savebutterflies.bsky.social adjust data for an early flight season but I wonder if some low numbers are because species eg Meadow Brown had been and gone before the Big Butterfly Count? www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The #BigButterflyCount results are in 🦋 unfortunately, butterflies have failed to shine despite the hottest UK summer on record - find out more and help support @savebutterflies.bsky.social

LANG'S SHORT-TAILED BLUE (Leptotes pirithous), taken in a light trap at Lizard, Cornwall on 7/9. Perhaps the 4th UK record (3rd likely genuine vagrant) #ukbutterflies #savebutterflies

Eight fresh Walls on Corfe Common transect yesterday. In a normal year I would say second brood, but this year I would say Third brood as the second appeared in July. Hopefully they will have time to develop and overwinter as young larvae @dorsetbutterflies.bsky.social

A medieval castle in Lincolnshire is using Space-Age technology to create a new home for one of the UK's rarest butterflies:

Good morning with good news: "IRENA found that in 2024, the global average cost of electricity generated by solar PV was, on average, 41% lower than the least-cost new fossil fuel-fired power plant, as shown in the figure below." Solar booms! #energysky interactive.carbonbrief.org/factcheck/so...

Expect your mobile to go off 3pm Sunday! Be prepared for a test of the Govt's emergency alert system. Full info... www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2025/09... LIVING WITH DOMESTIC ABUSE? If you've a hidden mobile, you the link above has details of how to opt out of the alert. Pls share

Should of course be www.suffolkbutterflies.org.uk

Sat 11th Oct 2025 2.15 pm Suffolk Branch Members' Afternoon 2025 at Earl Stonham Village Hall, IP14 5HJ Pete Eeles will be our guest speaker. He runs the UK Butterflies website & has recently published British and Irish Butterfly Rarities See suffolkutterflies.org.uk

"Only a fool will go chasing a male Orange-tip in the heat of the day!" (Paul Atkin) ... we're having a debate at UK Butterflies that will allow us to create a 'Guide to Responsible Butterfly Photography' so do join the conversation at www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewto.... 📷 Neil Freeman

Wall browns have avoided me this year until today at Carlton marshes. Even then, this male was reluctant to open his wings for more than a second. By main track past Spratts water.

#Leptember is all about Lepidoptera love! Here's a home-reared Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) being held carefully by my daughter, shortly before being released into the wilds of Greece. IMO every child should rear caterpillars at least once in their life, to experience the magic of metamorphosis!

📣 New research, including @savebutterflies.bsky.social #citizenscience data, shows winners & losers across >1200 insect species in Britain since 1990. Urbanisation identified as major driver of decline for moths, ladybirds & hoverflies www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🌍 🦋🐞🦗🪲🐝

As we guessed, it has been the hottest summer on record, even surpassing 1976 which we thought was extraordinary, now appears ordinary. What will this do to butterflies? Small Tortoiseshell has been a victim, but Silver-spotted Skipper and Silver-studded Blue have benefitted. Its a complex picture

The seasons are changing, and so too are the butterflies and moths you can find in your wild spaces 🦋🍂 Discover more UK species and tips on how to attract them with our monthly e-newsletter 👉 http://butterfly-conservation.org/enews #SaveButterflies #MothsMatter

Not ready to stop counting butterflies yet? Good news! You can help butterflies and moths all year round by recording your sightings through the iRecord Butterflies app 👉 https://butterfly-conservation.org/our-work/recording-and-monitoring/irecord-butterflies 📷: Green-veined White - Iain H Leach