Science Behind the Photo #1

Painted Lady (Cynthia cardui)

Almost a third of butterflies in Europe are in decline and one in ten is threatened with extinction. This also has a severe knock-on effect for the plant species which rely on butterflies for pollination. A recent report by Natural England has found that that the number of butterflies in the UK has decreased by almost a quarter since 1880. The report also found that 75% of UK butterfly species are currently in decline.

Did you know? Butterflies and moths are found on all land masses, except Antarctica.

Andrew Purcell