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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Colonies expand for the treetop emperor | Colonies expand for the treetop emperor |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Dedicated searches have revealed a rare butterfly back in its former Kent stronghold and gaining other territories | |
| Patrick Barkham | |
| Thu 3 Aug 2017 21.30 BST | |
| Last modified on Mon 27 Nov 2017 19.01 GMT | |
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| Britain’s most charismatic and elusive butterfly, the purple emperor, has a habit of turning up unannounced. This powerful, treetop, butterfly lives at low densities in the landscape but has been spotted in many new places thanks to the combination of a fine mid-summer and some astonishingly thorough searches by devotees. | Britain’s most charismatic and elusive butterfly, the purple emperor, has a habit of turning up unannounced. This powerful, treetop, butterfly lives at low densities in the landscape but has been spotted in many new places thanks to the combination of a fine mid-summer and some astonishingly thorough searches by devotees. |
| This butterfly has been observed in one of its former strongholds, Great Chattenden Wood, in Kent, which means it is breeding on the sallows in Lodge Hill, the adjoining former MoD base. This plot is earmarked for housing but has become a superb site for endangered nightingales and other rare wildlife. | This butterfly has been observed in one of its former strongholds, Great Chattenden Wood, in Kent, which means it is breeding on the sallows in Lodge Hill, the adjoining former MoD base. This plot is earmarked for housing but has become a superb site for endangered nightingales and other rare wildlife. |
| Male and female emperors – indicating a likely breeding colony – have also been spotted in Sheringham Park, Norfolk, a county where the emperor probably became extinct in the 1960s. | Male and female emperors – indicating a likely breeding colony – have also been spotted in Sheringham Park, Norfolk, a county where the emperor probably became extinct in the 1960s. |
| Three-quarters of Britain’s 59 native butterfly species may be in decline but many have, thankfully, rallied this summer. Some, particularly the marbled white and the silver-washed fritillary, are rapidly expanding their range. | Three-quarters of Britain’s 59 native butterfly species may be in decline but many have, thankfully, rallied this summer. Some, particularly the marbled white and the silver-washed fritillary, are rapidly expanding their range. |
| If you spend 15 minutes in a park, garden or wood this weekend count the butterflies and submit your sightings to the Big Butterfly Count, the world’s largest butterfly survey. | If you spend 15 minutes in a park, garden or wood this weekend count the butterflies and submit your sightings to the Big Butterfly Count, the world’s largest butterfly survey. |
| This year things seem much better than in 2016’s dismal summer. While I haven’t seen the clouds of butterflies reported in some parts, even in intensively farmed Norfolk I’m clocking up several dozen large and small whites, red admirals and peacocks. | This year things seem much better than in 2016’s dismal summer. While I haven’t seen the clouds of butterflies reported in some parts, even in intensively farmed Norfolk I’m clocking up several dozen large and small whites, red admirals and peacocks. |
| Two less visible butterflies are also thriving. The purple hairstreak, another iridescent purple treetop butterfly, has been seen in good numbers. So too has the rare brown hairstreak, an indolent creature which spends its time high in ash trees and is best watched from a deckchair. It’s the perfect relaxing late-summer butterfly. | Two less visible butterflies are also thriving. The purple hairstreak, another iridescent purple treetop butterfly, has been seen in good numbers. So too has the rare brown hairstreak, an indolent creature which spends its time high in ash trees and is best watched from a deckchair. It’s the perfect relaxing late-summer butterfly. |
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