The colourful peacock has fluttered to the top spot in a poll to reveal the nation\u2019s favourite butterfly.<\/p>\n
Peacock butterflies, with their striking colours and \u201ceye-spots\u201d designed to fend off predators, beat 59 other British species in the vote run by Butterfly Conservation.<\/p>\n
More than 20,000 votes were cast across the UK, with a rainbow of colourful species making up the top five, the conservationists said.<\/p>\n
The orange-tip butterfly came a close second to the peacock, followed by red admirals in third, holly blues in fourth and the bright yellow brimstone butterfly in fifth.<\/p>\n
The charity, which declared a \u201cbutterfly emergency\u201d in 2024 <\/a>as numbers recorded during its annual Big Butterfly Count fell to a record low, is now calling on everyone to take part in this year\u2019s count to help scientists get an updated picture of how Britain\u2019s most common butterflies are faring.<\/p>\n The orange-tip butterfly took second spot in the national poll. Credit: istock<\/p>\n Butterfly Conservation\u2019s head of engagement, Kate Merry, said: \u201cThe response to Britain\u2019s Favourite Butterfly has been absolutely wonderful, and we\u2019re not surprised.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s clear that people up and down the country love butterflies of all shapes, sizes and colours, and voted in their thousands for their favourites.\u201d<\/p>\n But she said: \u201cThe peacock is a worthy winner, it\u2019s a true showstopper and a species that I bet a lot of us picture when we think of butterflies.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been really special seeing people get so passionate about their favourites and throw their support behind them.<\/p>\n \u201cNow we can\u2019t wait to see how many peacocks are spotted up and down the country in this summer\u2019s Big Butterfly Count<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Peacock butterflies are regular visitors to gardens and green spaces across the whole of the UK, particularly where there are patches of nettles as the plants are their caterpillars\u2019 favourite food, Butterfly Conservation said.<\/p>\n