Record heatwaves bring Britain’s second-best butterfly season in 16 years
Volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and moths, with painted ladies up 335% on last year The recording-breaking heat of 2026 delivered the second-best British butterfly season of the past 16 years, according to the Big Butterfly Count . The largest insect count in the world, in which more than 100,000 volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and day-flying moths, confirmed what many people experienced – a noticeable profusion of butterflies during the five-heatwave summer.
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Volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and moths, with painted ladies up 335% on last year
The recording-breaking heat of 2026 delivered the second-best British butterfly season of the past 16 years, according to the Big Butterfly Count.
The largest insect count in the world, in which more than 100,000 volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and day-flying moths, confirmed what many people experienced – a noticeable profusion of butterflies during the five-heatwave summer.
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About this article
- Length
- 77 words · 1 min read
- Published
- September 16, 2026
- Byline
- Patrick Barkham
- Source
- The Guardian