The red admiral butterfly had its best year ever in Scotland last year, according to scientists who described 2023 as “a phenomenal year” for the much-loved species.
They increased in abundance by 224 per cent compared with 2022, which was the ninth best year since records began 44 years ago.
The latest results from the annual UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme, published on Wednesday, show red admirals had increased by nearly 1,000 per cent in Scotland since 1980.
Dr Richard Fox, head of science at the wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, said: “The red admiral had a spectacularly good year in Scotland. The species had a good year in 2022 but it had a phenomenal year last year, and this is part of a long-term trend.
“The
