Boost for butterflies: Despite record lows, some species are thriving in the South and South East

There has been some good news for butterflies in our region, despite disappointing results in this year's Big Butterfly Count.  

• Click for Lauren Hall's report:

Fewer butterflies than ever were recorded in the annual survey which is the biggest of its kind in the world. Here though, several species appear to be thriving including the Large White, the Peacock and the Heath Fritillary.  

However, there is concern about how our butterflies are doing as a whole. Their numbers have declined dramatically over the past century and several species have become extinct.

The Big Butterfly Count saw the lowest numbers of butterflies counted since the survey began more than a decade ago. 

The fall in butterfly numbers this summer may be due to a number of factors. An unusually warm spring led many species to emerge earlier than usual. This may explain why we didn't see as many during the Big Butterfly Count which only runs for a few weeks.

Butterfly Conservation says its scientists will now use the data to try to understand what is happening.