Fears grow for small tortoiseshell butterfly as decline continues

Big Butterfly Count records worst summer ever for the species, despite the heatwave providing a boost to most others

Fears are growing for the small tortoiseshell butterfly after this once-common garden insect continued its baffling decline despite the hot summer proving a boon to most species.

The small tortoiseshell suffered its worst summer in the history of the Big Butterfly Count with sightings falling by 32% compared with last year, according to the charity Butterfly Conservation.