Warm and dry weather leads to bumper year for Yorkshire's butterflies
A survey has recorded almost 120,000 of the winged insects across our region, with numbers for some species tripling
Last updated 23rd Sep 2026
A summer of warm and dry conditions across Yorkshire has led to bumper butterfly numbers across the region.
Charity Butterfly Conservation has released the results of its annual survey, which show people spotted 118,330 of the winged insects over the survey period.
The most spotted species was the Small White, the second being the Large White and the third being the Red Admiral.
10,699 Painted Lady butterflies were also recorded, a 335% increase on last uear.
A favourable spring and hot and dry conditions, which are well liked by butterflies, are thought to be behind the boost in numbers.
Professor Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation, said: “Adult butterflies love hot, sunny weather for flying, feeding and breeding, and that's exactly why people saw so many this summer."
"However, the very same weather that made it a good year for butterflies - lots of sunshine and very little rain - could mean we’re actually on course for a population crash, which could take years to recover from.
“The extreme droughts in 1976 and 1995 had severe impacts on butterfly populations, with some species never fully recovering.
"And the major problem we have now is that 80% of the UK’s butterflies have declined since the 1970s, so many are already struggling for survival, without these extreme weather pressures.
“With increasingly hot, dry summers and droughts predicted to become more and more frequent due to climate breakdown, degraded habitats and already depleted butterfly populations, some species may be pushed further and faster towards extinction, which is a very sombre thought.
"They are, quite simply, less resilient to these events, which means we could be looking at very difficult years ahead.”