Extinct butterfly returns to Portland
A BUTTERFLY thought to be extinct in the UK has been spotted on Portland. There have only been very rare sightings of the Large Tortoiseshell butterfly over the past 70 years - but the new February sightings confirm that the species is again resident in the UK. Evidence of a breeding colony - egg shells and spent larval skins - was first found on Portland in June 2020. It was last officially recorded as being resident in the UK in the 1950s. The butterfly was thought to have been ravaged by a disappearing habitat and the rapid decline of elm trees which are its favoured food source.
Source: dorsetecho.co.uk
