{"id":16774,"date":"2022-05-26T11:51:40","date_gmt":"2022-05-26T09:51:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.countryfile.com\/?p=117057"},"modified":"2022-05-26T12:12:37","modified_gmt":"2022-05-26T10:12:37","slug":"half-of-british-butterfly-species-threatened-near-threatened-or-extinct","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/rss_feed\/half-of-british-butterfly-species-threatened-near-threatened-or-extinct\/","title":{"rendered":"Half of British butterfly species threatened, near threatened, or extinct"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Daniel Graham\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Thursday, 26 May 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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The latest Red List assessment<\/a> revealed a 26% increase in the number of British butterfly species<\/a> threatened with extinction,\u00a0meaning the risk of extinction has increased for more species of butterfly than decreased.<\/p>\n

Of the 62 butterfly species assessed, half are now on the Red List, with 24 classed as threatened (8 endangered, 16 vulnerable), five near threatened, and four extinct: black-veined white, large tortoiseshell, large copper, and Mazarine blue.<\/p>\n

The Red List was put together by Butterfly Conservation<\/a> scientists using data gathered by volunteers, and assesses all native butterfly species with long-term, regular breeding populations in Great Britain between 1800\u20132019.<\/p>\n

Big Butterfly Count 2022: how to take part\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Big Butterfly Count is the world\u2019s largest butterfly survey, undertaken by wildlife lovers across the UK. It lasts for just over two weeks from the end of July to the first week of August, and involves picking a spot and spending 15 minutes counting the butterflies and moths you can see. Find out how you can take part<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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\""Peacock\"<\/div><\/div> <\/div> <\/section>

\u201cShockingly, half of Britain\u2019s remaining butterfly species are listed as threatened or near threatened on the new Red List,\u201d says Head of Science for Butterfly Conservation, Dr Richard Fox.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven prior to this new assessment, British butterflies were among the most threatened in Europe, and now the number of threatened species in Britain has increased by five, an increase of more than one-quarter. While some species have become less threatened, and a few have even dropped off the Red List, the overall increase clearly demonstrates that the deterioration of the status of British butterflies continues apace.\u201d<\/p>\n

The main driver of this decline is land-use change, but climate change is also having a big impact, with all four British butterflies with northerly distributions, adapted to cooler or damper conditions, now listed as threatened (large heath, Scotch argus, northern brown argus) or near threatened (mountain ringlet).<\/p>\n

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