Butterfly conservationists are predicting that the real cost of this summer’s extreme weather may not be felt until next year, when this year’s drought-stressed caterpillars should be emerging as adults
A butterfly conservation charity has warned that drought could leave London’s butterflies fighting for survival next year.
The warning comes as the Met Office stated 2026 had the hottest summer on record, and August saw the UK’s National Drought Group declare that more than 70% of England was officially in drought.
Butterfly Conservation is predicting that the real cost of this summer’s extreme weather may not be felt until next year, when this year’s drought-stressed caterpillars should be emerging as adults.
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. But a good summer for adult butterflies is not the same as a good summer for butterfly populations.
“What matters far more is what’s happening on the ground, to the butterflies’ caterpillar offspring and the plants they depend on. 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.”
During this year’s Big Butterfly Count, 101,565 participants recorded almost 1.4 million butterflies and moths across the UK.
This year, many of the plants that caterpillars depend on had withered or died before the caterpillars had finished feeding on them, and the charity fears the impact on butterfly and moth populations will become fully apparent in 2027.
Professor Fox added: “Our real worry isn’t this summer, it’s what happens next. We’ve been here before and it’s not good; 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.”
Butterfly Conservation is calling on people across the borough to take three simple ‘drought-proofing’ actions in their gardens and outdoor spaces this winter to help caterpillars, and in turn, butterflies and moths.
These include planting more trees and shrubs, with holly, ivy and buckthorn among the best choices for butterflies, setting up water butts to collect rainwater through autumn and winter, and leaving grass patches to grow long.
For more butterfly friendly gardening tips visit www.butterfly-conservation.org
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