Butterflywatch: rare high brown fritillary thrives on Dartmoor

Species declined by 96% since 1950s but this summer numbers are strong in south-west EnglandThere always seems to be one British butterfly species in a death spiral towards extinction. The Duke of Burgundy was on the brink but targeted conservation action has brought a surge in numbers over recent seasons.Over the last decade, the disappearance of the high brown fritillary has most worried butterfly lovers. It experienced a 96% decline since the 1950s - a once-common wood-edge butterfly turned into a rare species. Continue reading...