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RSPB Minsmere: Rare yellow-legged tortoiseshell butterfly spotted
The yellow-legged tortoiseshell is usually found in eastern Europe
A butterfly last seen in the UK more than 60 years ago has been spotted in parts of East Anglia.
The yellow-legged tortoiseshell, also known as the scarce tortoiseshell, was seen at RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk.
Additional sightings have since been reported in Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex, said Butterfly Conservation.
Experts believe the butterflies, usually found in eastern Europe, have arrived from Holland, where they have recently been seen in large numbers.
Ian Barthorpe, from RSPB Minsmere, hosts of the BBC's Springwatch, said: "The excitement began on Monday when our senior site manager called to say that he thought he had a large tortoiseshell butterfly in his garden.
'Incredibly rare'
The large, dramatically coloured butterfly with distinctive yellow legs, measuring 6cm (2in) across its wingspan, is found from eastern Europe to China and Japan.
Butterfly Conservation, a charity which helps threatened species of butterflies and moths, said the recent sightings in East Anglia had prompted speculation that the butterfly may be attempting to colonise the UK.
Richard Fox, from the charity, said the yellow-legged tortoiseshell was "an incredibly rare migrant butterfly" which had "only reached Britain once before, in 1953".
"Over the past week, however, a major immigration of this eastern European species has taken place westwards through the Netherlands and across the Channel," he said.
The charity's Big Butterfly Count begins on Saturday. http://www.bigbutterflycount.org/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-28345031
