Big Butterfly Count 2024 results reveal lowest numbers on record

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation has today declared a national ‘Butterfly Emergency’, with results of this summer’s Big Butterfly Count showing a marked and hugely concerning decline in numbers.

Overall, participants spotted just seven butterflies on average per 15-minute Count, a reduction of almost 50% on last year’s average of 12, and the lowest in the 14-year history of the Big Butterfly Count.

It was the worst summer in the Count’s history for Common Blue, Holly Blue, Green-veined White, Small White, Small Tortoiseshell, Painted Lady and Scotch Argus. And the majority of species (81%) showed declines in the number seen this year compared with 2023.

In total, just over 935,000 butterflies and day-flying moths were recorded across the UK from 12 July - 4 August, down almost 600,000, equivalent to more than a third of 2023's total, and 9,000 Counts were logged as seeing zero butterflies, the highest in the citizen science programme’s history.

These figures have alarmed scientists and resulted in the charity declaring a nationwide ‘Butterfly Emergency’.

Dr Richard Fox, Head of Science at Butterfly Conservation, said: “The previous lowest average number of butterflies per Count was nine in 2022, this latest figure is 22% lower than that, which is very disturbing. Not just that, but a third of the species recorded in the Big Butterfly Count have had their worst year on record, and no species had their best. The results are in line with wider evidence that the summer of 2024 has been very poor for butterflies.

“Butterflies are a key indicator species; when they are in trouble we know that the wider environment is in trouble too. Nature is sounding the alarm call. We must act now if we are to turn the tide on these rapid declines and protect species for future generations."

Butterfly Conservation is writing an open letter to Steve Reed, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs calling for the Government to act now for nature by declaring a ‘Nature Emergency’ and banning butterfly-killing neonicotinoid pesticides once and for all, with no exceptions, before it’s too late.

Dr Fox explains: “When used on farmland, these chemicals make their way into the wild plants growing at field edges, resulting in adult butterflies and moths drinking contaminated nectar and caterpillars feeding on contaminated plants. Many European countries have already banned these chemicals, it’s time for the UK to follow suit and put the natural world first. If we don’t act now to finally address the long-term drivers of butterfly decline, we will face extinction events never before seen in our lifetime.”

More than 85,000 citizen scientists took part in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count this year, submitting 143,241 Counts. This is equivalent to 35,810 hours, or four years worth of time spent counting, in gardens, parks, school grounds and the countryside

Dr Richard Fox concluded: “If every single person who helped with the Count this summer signs our letter to the Government, we could prevent the very real and pressing threat of species becoming extinct in our lifetime."

To sign Butterfly Conservation’s letter to the Government asking them to declare a ‘Nature Emergency’ and ban butterfly-killing neonicotinoid pesticides visit: https://butterfly-conservation.org/emergency

Next year’s Big Butterfly Count will take place from Friday 18th July – Sunday 10th August 2025.

BIG BUTTERFLY RESULTS 2024

Species results in the UK – Big Butterfly Count 2024

Big Butterfly Count 2024

UK

Abundance

Average per count

% change from 2023

14 year trend (bold significant)

1

Gatekeeper

190,413

1.5

-18

-31.82

2

Meadow Brown

177,844

1.4

6

-15.41

3

Large White

138,424

1.1

-38

2.07

4

Small White

112,814

0.9

-46

-18.72

5

Peacock

50,847

0.4

-67

-30.39

6

Red Admiral

47,109

0.4

-82

28.10

7

Ringlet

44,278

0.3

85

-47.06

8

Speckled Wood

30,112

0.2

-2

-37.70

9

Comma

24,498

0.2

-52

-20.28

10

Green-veined White

18,951

0.1

-24

-65.01

11

Six-spot Burnet

18,102

0.1

88

-

12

Marbled White

17,922

0.1

101

-18.04

13

Small Copper

13,962

0.1

-30

48.05

14

Small Tortoiseshell

12,432

0.1

-74

-59.44

15

Common Blue

9,755

0.1

-69

-51.67

16

Brimstone

8,622

0.1

-53

-17.99

17

Holly Blue

7,090

0.1

-80

35.63

18

Painted Lady

4,170

0.03

-66

9.27

19

Silver Y

4,101

0.03

-30

-

20

Jersey Tiger

3,496

0.03

-29

-

21

Scotch Argus

499

0.004

-61

-

 

TOTAL

935,441

7

-40

 -

Species results in England – Big Butterfly Count 2024

Big Butterfly Count 2024

England

Abundance

Average per count

% change from 2023

1

Gatekeeper

183,797

1.55

-17

2

Meadow Brown

164,618

1.39

6

3

Large White

126,988

1.07

-40

4

Small White

102,159

0.86

-47

5

Peacock

49,622

0.42

-66

6

Red Admiral

44,813

0.38

-82

7

Ringlet

35,392

0.3

77

8

Speckled Wood

26,700

0.22

-1

9

Comma

23,687

0.2

-51

10

Marbled White

17,788

0.15

100

11

Green-veined White

15,440

0.13

-26

12

Six-spot Burnet

14,662

0.12

91

13

Small Copper

13,224

0.11

-28

14

Small Tortoiseshell

10,818

0.09

-72

15

Brimstone

8,496

0.07

-53

16

Common Blue

8,307

0.07

-71

17

Holly Blue

6,623

0.06

-80

18

Painted Lady

3,830

0.03

-66

19

Silver Y

3,585

0.03

-31

20

Jersey Tiger

3,448

0.03

-29

 

TOTAL

863,997

7.28

-41

Species results in Scotland – Big Butterfly Count 2024

Big Butterfly Count 2024

Scotland

Abundance

Average per count

% change from 2023

1

Ringlet

4,689

0.96

123

2

Small White

4,123

0.84

-29

3

Meadow Brown

3,778

0.77

28

4

Large White

3,299

0.68

-11

5

Green-veined White

1,850

0.38

-16

6

Speckled Wood

1,089

0.22

67

7

Common Blue

784

0.16

75

8

Small Tortoiseshell

688

0.14

-79

9

Red Admiral

609

0.12

-79

10

Six-spot Burnet

559

0.11

34

11

Scotch Argus

481

0.10

-64

12

Peacock

221

0.05

-94

13

Small Copper

169

0.03

-46

14

Silver Y

148

0.03

-18

15

Holly Blue

132

0.03

-42

16

Painted Lady

104

0.02

-62

17

Comma

95

0.02

-74

 

TOTAL

22,818

4.67

-26

Species results in Wales – Big Butterfly Count 2024

Big Butterfly Count 2024

Wales

Abundance

Average per count

% change from 2023

1

Meadow Brown

8,113

1.43

-23

2

Large White

7,100

1.25

-28

3

Gatekeeper

6,042

1.06

-38

4

Small White

5,499

0.97

-38

5

Ringlet

3,185

0.56

121

6

Six-spot Burnet

2,488

0.44

178

7

Speckled Wood

1,810

0.32

-26

8

Red Admiral

1,276

0.22

-86

9

Green-veined White

1,031

0.18

-8

10

Peacock

902

0.16

-82

11

Comma

687

0.12

-71

12

Small Tortoiseshell

627

0.11

-78

13

Small Copper

469

0.08

-65

14

Common Blue

359

0.06

-82

15

Silver Y

286

0.05

-39

16

Holly Blue

214

0.04

-85

17

Painted Lady

166

0.03

-73

18

Marbled White

132

0.02

133

19

Brimstone

121

0.02

-39

20

Jersey Tiger

28

0.00

-47

 

TOTAL

40,535

7.12

-42

Species results in Northern Ireland – Big Butterfly Count 2024

Big Butterfly Count 2024

Northern Ireland

Abundance

Average per count

% change from 2023

1

Ringlet

982

0.77

225

2

Meadow Brown

929

0.73

100

3

Small White

781

0.61

-53

4

Large White

686

0.54

-41

5

Green-veined White

563

0.44

2

6

Six-spot Burnet

391

0.31

-2

7

Speckled Wood

297

0.23

-30

8

Small Tortoiseshell

264

0.21

-84

9

Common Blue

149

0.12

28

10

Red Admiral

55

0.04

-96

11

Peacock

45

0.04

-97

12

Small Copper

44

0.03

-72

13

Holly Blue

37

0.03

-86

14

Painted Lady

35

0.03

-79

15

Silver Y

27

0.02

-25

 

TOTAL

5,285

4.16

-49