Fears for UK butterfly numbers after die-off in 2022 heatwave

Peacock butterflies which reproduce multiple times during summer are among species whose numbers fell after drought affected their habitats last year. Photograph: Rebecca Cole/The Guardian

The heat and drought of last summer caused British butterfly populations to crash later in the year, according to a new study.

Common butterfly species including the brimstone, small tortoiseshell, peacock, green-veined white and small white appeared in good or average numbers during the spring and early summer of 2022 but numbers in subsequent late-summer generations were greatly reduced.