Six-year-old Lola spots rare butterfly at Eden Project

Most six-year-olds collect stickers or shells. Lola keeps a list of every butterfly she has ever spotted, and the newest name on it might be the rarest entry anyone in Cornwall has added all year.

A butterfly that is not supposed to be here

A Queen of Spain fritillary, a species common across mainland Europe but scarcely ever seen in England, has turned up in the Eden Project‘s Outdoor Gardens. It is thought to be one of only a handful of sightings recorded anywhere in England this year, and the find has since been verified by the Cornwall County recorder at Natural England.

Small numbers of Queen of Spain fritillaries fly across the Channel most years, but the species has never bred in the UK consistently enough to count as a true resident. Between the 1950s and the 1990s it was rarely recorded in Britain at all, though a short-lived breeding colony did establish itself in Suffolk in the late 1990s.

📷Credit: Sarah C

How Lola made the find

It was Lola, aged six, who spotted the butterfly while out in the gardens. Her mum, Sarah, said Lola has always been fascinated by butterflies and loves learning about the different species.

“Lola keeps a list of all the different butterflies she’s spotted, it’s been such a lovely way to enjoy nature and the outdoors together,” Sarah said.

“It was definitely a highlight of the trip for Lola, one she will always remember. We felt very lucky to be visiting such a wonderful place and to spot a beautiful butterfly.”

📷Credit: Sarah C

Why more visitors are arriving from the continent

This year has brought more reports of continental butterfly species than usual across southern England, and experts say the reason comes down to the weather. As with the painted lady, another migrant species that has arrived in unusually large numbers this year, sustained warm conditions have given these butterflies ideal flying weather for the crossing from Europe, and better odds of surviving and breeding once they get here.

Julie Kendall, Outdoor Horticulture Manager at Eden Project, said the sighting was a reminder of what the gardens can support.

“It’s fantastic to have a rare butterfly like the Queen of Spain fritillary found in our gardens,” she said. “We pride ourselves on providing such rich, diverse habitats that can support nature of all shapes and sizes, including non-native species that are now finding new homes here as our climate changes.

“Sightings like this are a brilliant reminder that gardens have a real part to play as staging posts for wildlife on the move, and we’d encourage visitors to keep their eyes peeled next time they’re walking through the gardens.”

Visitors hoping to spot a Queen of Spain fritillary or other wildlife for themselves can book tickets to Eden.

Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation, said the sighting was a welcome one. “It’s very exciting to see the Queen of Spain in the UK, it’s a beautiful butterfly and a rare visitor to our shores. Sightings like this always capture people’s imaginations and generate more interest in butterflies which is a great thing.

“Butterflies do like hot and sunny weather, so this summer has provided great flying conditions for lots of species. However, butterflies need a lot more than nice weather to do well, which is why Butterfly Conservation is dedicated to providing high-quality habitat for our fantastic native species and our occasional visiting guests.”

📷Credit: Sarah C