Urban butterfly declines 69% compared to 45% drop in countryside

Pesticides, paving and higher temperatures have put huge strain on butterflies in cities over past two decades, finds study

Butterflies have vanished from towns and cities more rapidly than from the countryside over the past two decades, according to a new study.

Industrial agriculture has long been viewed as the scourge of butterflies and other insects but city life is worse - urban butterfly abundance fell by 69% compared to a 45% decline in rural areas over 20 years from 1995.