The populations of 44 of Britain's 58 butterfly species have dropped dramatically over the last 40 years

According to wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation, 44 out of the country’s 58 butterfly species have seen a drop in their populations, leaving some species at risk of extinction in the U.K. Common butterflies of the general countryside as well as specialist butterflies that require particular habitats have declined.\Richard Fox, head of recording at Butterfly Conservation, tells Newsweek that the dramatic decrease in the number of garden butterflies is “severe and statistically significant.”

“Butterflies can act as the ‘canary in the coalmine’ for thousands of other insect species that are largely unknown and unloved by the public,” he says. “Butterflies provide vital functions, such as pollination, on which humans rely.”
Source: Newsweek, 14 March 2016
http://europe.newsweek.com/british-butterfly-species-severe-decline-436…