Butterflies face extinction

A new study has suggested a third of European butterflies are in decline with one in ten threatened with extinction.

Britain could face losing two species of butterfly, the Duke of Burgundy (pictured above) and the Lulworth Skipper, if urgent action isn't taken. Both butterflies have declined in recent years and are now at threat of extinction according to the European Red List assessment of species at risk.

The Lulworth Skipper (pictured right) can now only be found along the south coast of Dorset having declined by 87% since 1980. The Duke of Burgundy have dropped from 200 to just 80 colonies in the last 20 years.

The Large Blue is also showing cause for concern. It is endangered throughout the continent and disappeared from the British countryside in 1979. It has since been successfully reintroduced into Somerset and Dorset.

The chief executive of UK charity Butterfly Conservation, Dr Martin Warren, blamed the decline on habitat loss due to intensive farming practices.

He said "we need to see much greater efforts for farmers to adopt environmentally sensitive agriculture."

A study conducted by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has highlighted concerns for 22 species of butterfly, 29 species of beetle and 5 types of dragonfly.