Peacock butterfly named Britain’s favourite in nationwide poll
The live peacock butterfly has been named the country’s favorite butterfly in a new survey conducted by environmentalists.
Its distinctive “eye spots” and striking colors, which act as a defense mechanism against predators, helped it retain the top spot.
The poll, conducted by Butterfly Conservation, saw the peacock triumph over 59 other British species, with more than 20,000 votes cast from across the UK.
Various colorful species rounded out the top five, with the orange-tipped butterfly taking a close second place.
The red admiral settled in third place, followed by sacred blue in fourth place and the bright yellow sulfur butterfly rounding out the top spots.
The charity, which declared a “butterfly emergency” for 2024 as numbers recorded during the annual Great Butterfly Count dropped to a record low, is now urging everyone to take part in this year’s count to help scientists get an up-to-date picture of how Britain’s most common butterflies are doing.
Kate Merry, chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, said: “The response to Britain’s Favorite Butterfly has been absolutely fantastic and we’re not surprised.
“It’s clear that people across the country love butterflies of all shapes, sizes and colours, and thousands have voted for their favourites.”
But he said: “The peacock is a worthy winner, a truly showy thing and a species that I bet most of us picture when we think of butterflies.
“It was really special to see people being so passionate about their favorites and leaving their support behind.
“Now we can’t wait to see how many peacocks are spotted in the country during this summer’s Great Butterfly Count.”
Butterfly Conservation said peacock butterflies regularly visit gardens and green spaces across the UK, especially those with nettles as the plants are the caterpillars’ favorite food.
Ms Merry added: “Taking part in the Great Butterfly Count couldn’t be easier – spend 15 minutes in any open space and count the butterflies and dayflying moths you see and submit your feedback to help create our interactive map.
“This information will help conservationists see how some of our more common species are faring, which will help build a broader picture of how all butterflies and moths are doing.”
This year’s Big Butterfly Count will take place from Friday, July 17 to Sunday, August 9, and for more information or to participate, people can visit here www.bigbutterflycount.org
