BEAD 2023: Learn more about Butterfly Education and Awareness Day

Find out how we can look after butterflies in the UK

Today is world butterfly day - also known as Butterfly Education and Awareness Day.

It's a day to celebrate everything about butterflies and to learn more about butterfly conservation.

You can also learn how to create a butterfly habitat, or find out more about the lifecycle of these fascinating creatures.

Last year, research found that butterflies in the UK need our help - half of Britain's remaining butterflies are currently under threat.

Know your red admiral from your tortoiseshell? Why not try our butterfly quiz further down the page.

There are all sorts of butterflies in the UK - 59 in total.

They live in lots of different places, some like trees, some prefer brambles, and others like clearings in woodlands.

If you have a pair of binoculars, you might be able to see rarer species that hide in the canopies of trees.

There's even a type of butterfly that has been named after a Lord of the Rings villain!

Why are butterflies under threat?

Butterflies are an important part of the ecosystem, but some are under threat

Butterflies are losing the habitats that they usually live in, according to charity Butterfly Conservation.

A habitat is an area that an animal or plant lives in - for butterflies this could be meadows, woodlands or other natural spaces.

In February, Butterfly Conservation released a report explaining how butterflies are at risk.

The charity says that the main threat to butterflies is the fact that these habitats are being used for different things - such as houses being built or trees being cut down.

They also say that temperature increases caused by climate change have created more risks for butterflies.

Butterflies that are used to colder environments, such as the Scotch Argus and the Mountain Ringlet, are now listed as "threatened".

The Scotch Argus butterfly

How can we protect them?

Experts still think there is hope for butterflies, and there have been several successful conservation efforts in the UK so far.

Conservation is a term for looking after a species and helping it grow - this can be with anything natural, from rare plants to beautiful butterflies. One of the main ways to help butterflies is to rebuild their habitats and give them places to grow and develop.

A current plan to restore peat bogs across the UK is helping the Large Heath butterfly in Scotland.

In England, the Chequered Skipper butterfly has recently been re-introduced with the help of wildlife experts.

Try our butterfly quiz and let us know how you score in the comments at the bottom of the page!