The common blue butterfly could be booming in the UK thanks to recent spells of hot weather, according to a conservation charity.
Experts are predicting that the July heatwave and Met Office forecasts for above-average temperatures in August might mean that the common blue has its "best ever summer", according to Butterfly Conservation.
The butterfly has been struggling for the last 40 years, according to the charity, but common blue populations increased by 104% in the summer of 2018 compared with the previous year, thanks to warm weather.
Last summer, overall butterfly numbers were up 110% on 2017 in England and 94% in Wales, according to the charity.
The top of the male common blue's wings are bright blue and unmarked, whereas females have orange crescents and dark spots near the edge of their wings that vary from purple to dark brown, with a tinge of blue near to the body.
Butterfly Conservation is urging people to help monitor the common blue by taking part in the Big Butterfly Count population survey. Participants are asked to spend 15 minutes in the sun counting every butterfly they see before submitting their sightings online. This runs until the 11 August.
Corinne Pluchino, chief executive of the Campaign for National Parks said, "this is a great opportunity to help chart the progress of this beautiful blue butterfly and we'd love to know where our top common blue colonies are".
