Have you seen a Small Tortoiseshell butterfly?

The public are being asked to look out for the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly. Although still common in most of northern Scotland, it has recently declined over most of the rest of the UK, including southern Scotland.

It is shocking to realise just how quickly and by how much this very familiar 'garden' butterfly has declined - and we do not know why. One possible cause is the recent colonisation of a Continental parasitic fly that attacks the caterpillars.

In the UK, the Small Tortoiseshell should be benefiting from global warming, but its decline may illustrate the unexpected consequences that climate change will have on our native flora and fauna. It also underlines why we must do all we can to protect and conserve all our species and habitats, not just the rarities.

How you can help

You can join in the research project, co-ordinated by Oxford University, to investigate this parasitic fly by rearing caterpillars collected from the wild and keeping any parasites that emerge.

For more information, see the following website.

We are delighted that the Scottish Government is supporting this year's survey for the Small Tortoiseshell.

Submit your record

If you have spotted the Small Tortoiseshell butterfly in Scotland, please submit your record on-line using the form below or email us multiple sightings.

The information you provide will be used solely by Butterfly Conservation and Biological Record Centres. If you submit a record we may contact you by post or e-mail about this survey, but please observe the relevant data protection options below in regard to receiving additional information about our conservation, membership or fundraising activities.

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