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Record heatwaves bring Britain’s second-best butterfly season in 16 years

The Guardian UK Wednesday 16 September 2026, 06:00 UTC By Patrick Barkham 1 min read
Key Points

Volunteers counted almost 1.4m common butterflies and moths, with painted ladies up 335% on last yearThe 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.

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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Originally published by The Guardian UK Read original →

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