Two species of butterfly make surprise new appearances in Scotland - Butterfly Conservation
Two species of butterfly have made dramatic appearances in Scotland in a suspected response to climate change.
The Gatekeeper, never officially recorded north of the border before, has been spotted in several places in Scotland this summer, while the White-letter Hairstreak - only recorded around the River Tweed for the first time in 2017 - has now appeared 100 miles further north in Dundee.
The surprise sightings are being announced by Butterfly Conservation just days after we declared a UK-wide Butterfly Emergency following the worst-ever results of our Big Butterfly Count this summer.
The new Scottish records are also part of a wider picture of butterflies and moths moving north across the UK.
Dr Tom Prescott, Butterfly Conservation Head of Conservation for Scotland, said: "These records really are remarkable. The Gatekeeper is a new species for Scotland, which is great, and the White-letter Hairstreak only came across the border seven years ago and was literally just over the Tweed, so for it to have jumped from there to Dundee is incredible. The volunteer who made that recording saw half a dozen in the park - it's just unbelievable."
Posted On: 01/10/2024
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