Experts stunned after record-breaking surge in rare butterfly sightings: 'None of us want summer 2025 to ever end'
It's an all-time high for the site — and a major milestone for the conservation of the vulnerable species, The Guardian reported.
The purple emperor is noted for being an elusive butterfly species — and for having some unusual behavior. According to The Guardian, the pretty purple butterflies feed on dung and animal carcasses — or fermented tree sap that makes them "tipsy." It's an unexpectedly grotesque diet for a butterfly, especially one this breathtaking.
Though the butterfly species is listed as wildlife of "least concern" by Great Britain's Red List, the species is listed as a "medium" conservation priority by Butterfly Conservation. That's because populations are dispersing and dropping due to habitat loss, a consequence of land development and rising global temperatures. And it's exactly why the large population sighting at Knepp is so exciting.
According to The Guardian, experts attribute the boost in sightings to Knepp's pioneering "process-led" rewilding project. Started in 2001, the project transformed former farmland into a thriving natural habitat for the butterfly species.
Rewilding projects are essential to supporting vulnerable wildlife and native plant life impacted by climate shifts and pollution. Knepp's rewilding project includes restoring natural habitats, reintroducing native wildlife and plant life, monitoring the area's ecosystem, and much more. This approach helps to restore natural ecosystems, boost biodiversity, and build resilience against future climate shifts.
Rewilded landscapes — including forests, wetlands, and grasslands — can act as powerful carbon sinks, absorbing pollution from the atmosphere. These areas also help regulate water cycles and create more stable, self-sustaining environments, which are crucial in the face of a warming world.
Particularly key to the purple emperor's resurgence is the growth of sallow scrub in the area, a crucial plant for the purple emperor's egg-laying, according to Rewilding Britain. Ecologists at Knepp say the plant has flourished, thanks to natural dispersal from roaming livestock like pigs and ponies.
Knepp's butterfly expert, Neil Hulme, told The Guardian that purple emperor populations naturally fluctuate year to year, so it may be premature to celebrate. Still, he highlighted Knepp as a "top-quality rewilded landscape" — and not only for the purple emperor butterfly. Other butterfly species, including purple hairstreaks and the silver-washed fritillary, are also being sighted in similar record numbers in the area.
Hulme told The Guardian Knepp has "clouds of butterflies everywhere," adding that "none of us want summer 2025 to ever end."
Do you think America does a good job of protecting its natural beauty?
Definitely
Only in some areas
No way
I'm not sure
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Experts reveal potential unintended side effect of Ozempic – and whether we should worry
The use of weight-loss jabs in the UK has skyrocketed, with an estimated 1.5 million people using them. Yet drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy don't just help people lose fat, but potentially muscle too, new research has suggested. A study that tested weight loss jabs on mice found that although muscle mass changes less than expected, muscles still get weaker and tissues like the liver also shrink. Weight-loss injections, also known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, work by mimicking the natural hormone which regulates blood sugar, appetite and digestion. The medications, known as semaglutides, predominantly treat diabetes but are also available on the NHS or via private providers to help adults with a high body mass index (BMI). For example, although Ozempic is used for type 2 diabetes, it is sometimes prescribed off-label as a weight-loss drug. The results of the study, published in the journal Cell Metabolism, revealed Ozempic-induced weight loss decreased muscle mass by about 10 per cent. Most of this lost weight wasn't from skeletal muscles, which surround bones and joints, but instead from other tissues like the liver, which shrank by nearly half. However, because the Ozempic was tested on mice, researchers emphasise that more research is needed to determine whether similar changes to organ size occur in humans and whether those changes come with any risks. 'Loss of mass in metabolically active organs, such as the liver, is expected as part of healthy weight loss,' said Dr Ran Hee Choi, research instructor in nutrition and integrative physiology at the University of Utah college of health, and co-first author on the study. In both mice and humans, weight gain and loss can affect the size of organs like the liver without affecting their function. 'It's unlikely that the observed lean mass loss represents a serious adverse effect,' added Dr Takuya Karasawa, another co-first author on the study. Researchers found some skeletal muscles did shrink by about 6 per cent as the mice lost weight, but not enough to explain the overall muscle loss. However, when someone gains fat, they also tend to gain skeletal muscle. Study authors explain this is because the body needs to work harder to move around. As a result, losing extra fat can lead to a loss of muscle, which will not affect the person's overall quality of life. Researchers also tested the amount of force the mice's muscles exerted and found that some muscle strength decreased as the mice lost weight, even when the size of the muscle stayed roughly the same. This potential loss of strength when taking Ozempic could be a particular concern for adults over the age of 60 who are at a higher risk of muscle loss and reduced mobility. 'The loss of physical function is a strong predictor of not just quality of life but longevity,' added Dr Katsu Funai, professor of nutrition at the University of Utah and the senior author on the study. Dr Funai concluded that further clinical trials of weight loss jabs should check for changes in muscle strength. A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic, said: 'In clinical trial for Wegovy or Ozempic we did not specifically study the medicine's impact on muscle mass. In a sub-study of 140 patients with a BMI of 40 or less, analysis suggested that treatment with Wegovy was accompanied by reductions in both fat and lean body mass, with a greater reduction in fat mass than lean body mass. 'We recommend that any patients experiencing side effects while taking Wegovy or Ozempic contact their healthcare provider.'
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
Crushers to slashers: Dinosaur bite styles reveal evolution's many paths
A new study finds that meat-eating dinosaurs followed remarkable evolutionary paths regarding their skull design and feeding style. In a new study published in Cell, researchers from the University of Bristol investigated the largest carnivore dinosaurs, the Theroposa family. The T. rex is the most iconic member of that group, and it is also famous for producing the largest bipedal carnivore in Earth's history. 'Carnivorous dinosaurs took very different paths as they evolved into giants in feeding biomechanics and possible behaviors,' said Andrew Rowe of the University of Bristol, UK. The new study explores how the skulls of these bipedal meat-eating giants evolved and offers intriguing insights into a way of life that exists no longer. These dinosaurs are big, but what does that mean about their skulls? A new study out of the University of Bristol analyzed the bite strength of 18 species of carnivorous dinosaurs. Study authors Andrew Rowe and Emily Rayfield wanted to know how bipedalism influenced skull biomechanics and feeding techniques. Experts already knew that although this group of dinosaurs reached similar sizes, predators evolved at different times and in disparate parts of the world. And their skulls reflected that. Study authors wanted to dive in and assess how these skulls compared. What is the relationship between their body size and skull biomechanics? A snapshot of how carnivores developed Rowe and Rayfield used 3D technologies, including CT and surface scans, to analyze skull mechanics, quantify feeding performance, and measure bite strength across 18 species of theropod, according to a press release. The Tyrannosaurus rex skull was optimized for quick, strong bites like a crocodile. However, its evolutionary path was different from that of other giant predatory species, such as spinosaurs and allosaurs, which walked on two legs. It had weaker bites and instead specialized in slashing and ripping flesh. 'Tyrannosaurs evolved skulls built for strength and crushing bites, while other lineages had comparatively weaker but more specialized skulls, suggesting diverse feeding strategies even at massive sizes. In other words, there wasn't one 'best' skull design for being a predatory giant; several designs functioned perfectly well,' says Andrew Rowe from the University of Bristol. But the Tyrannosaurids, like the T. rex, experienced higher skull stress. 'But in some other giants, like Giganotosaurus, we calculated stress patterns suggesting a relatively lighter bite. It drove home how evolution can produce multiple 'solutions' to life as a large, carnivorous biped.' Does size matter? But size didn't necessarily matter in this case. Some smaller therapods experienced more stress than some of the larger species due to increased muscle volume and bite forces. 'The findings show that being a predatory biped didn't always equate to being a bone-crushing giant. Unlike T. rex, some dinosaurs, including the spinosaurs and allosaurs, became giants while maintaining weaker bites more suited for slashing at prey and stripping flesh,' concludes a press release. 'I tend to compare Allosaurus to a modern Komodo dragon in terms of feeding style,' says Rowe. 'Large tyrannosaur skulls were instead optimized like modern crocodiles with high bite forces that crushed prey. This biomechanical diversity suggests that dinosaur ecosystems supported a wider range of giant carnivore ecologies than we often assume, with less competition and more specialization.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Yahoo
The world's first jump jet: How we got the legendary Harrier II
The Hawker Siddeley Kestrel was the aviation world's first jump jet, a Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (or V/STOL) aircraft, a milestone in aviation history. Originally known as the P.1127, it was later renamed the Hawker Siddeley Kestrel. Its evolution led to the British Aerospace Harrier and ultimately the McDonnell Douglas AV-8 Harrier II. No Runways After the Korean War, interest in V/STOL aircraft was high. Military planners and aircraft manufacturers believed the concept would eliminate the need for runways, which were vulnerable to air-launched runway denial munitions, as well as cannon and mortar fire. Designers began to research ways for military aircraft to take off vertically from small patches of open space. The Pegasus Engine The Pegasus vectored-thrust engine is the heart of the Kestrel/Harrier aircraft. The Pegasus moniker came from Bristol's tradition of naming their engines after classic mythology figures. Its original design and theory behind the vectored-thrust engine came from Michel Wibault, a French aviation designer. His design called for four harnessed rotatable jets, two of which were positioned on either side of the compressor for vertical lift, along with a main jet which was directed using a fixed central tailpipe. Development of the engine and aircraft began in 1957. Sir Stanley Hooker of the Bristol Aero Engine Company, along with Sir Sydney Camm and Ralph Hooper of Hawker Aircraft, started exploring ways to increase power while reducing the size and weight of the engine. By 1959, a working engine was ready for testing, but the thrust of the original engine was only 11,000 pounds instead of the promised 13,500 pounds. First Flight In October 1960, initial flights of the prototype were conducted with the aircraft tethered to the ground. This testing allowed the pilots to familiarize themselves with the hovering controls. In November 1960, the first untethered flights began, and by September 1961, the transition from vertical to horizontal flight was achieved. Summer In Paris In June 1963, the Hawker Siddeley P.1127 made its debut at the Paris Air Show. While it performed well for most of the demonstration, the landing didn't go well, as viewers watched the aircraft perform a 360-degree turn and then lose power, resulting in a hard landing that destroyed the undercarriage. Dreihundert Zwei! In 1965, a Tripartite Evaluation Squadron (TES) was formed at West Raynham, Norfolk, England, comprising top pilots from the United Kingdom, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the United States of America. This team would conduct trials of the Kestrel FGA.1 for their respective air forces. West Germany sent Luftwaffe Col. Gerhard Barkhorn as their representative. Barkhorn, who gained notoriety for destroying a total of 301 aircraft during World War II, was testing one of the Kestrels on Oct. 13, 1965. As he was hovering, about to land, he cut the throttle approximately one meter above the ground. The Kestrel dropped like a stone, destroying the landing gear. Barkhorn climbed out of the cockpit and, while examining the damage, exclaimed, 'Driehundert Zwei!' German for '302.' Coming to America Following a meeting and a rumored unauthorized test flight between two Marine Corps pilots and representatives from Hawker Siddeley at the 1968 Farnborough Air Show, the Marine Corps decided it wanted the Harrier for close air support and carrier operations. As Hawker Siddeley produced the Harrier, an arrangement had to be made with the U.S. defense contractor McDonnell-Douglas to produce this foreign-made aircraft. Between 1971 and 1976, the Marine Corps procured 102 AV-8A Harriers and 8 TAV-8A two-seat training aircraft. Off To War In 1980, British Aerospace delivered the first of 57 FRS.1 Sea Harriers (also known as the 'Shar') to the Royal Navy. They proved their worth just two years later in 1982, when the United Kingdom went to war in the Falklands. Operating from carriers in the war zone off the coast of Argentina, they provided air defense for the British Task Force. They shot down 20 Argentinian aircraft with the loss of just two Harriers. AV-8B Harrier II In December 1983, the Marine Corps received its first upgraded Harrier II. This version was an extensive redesign of the AV-8A Harrier. The Harrier II was upgraded with a larger composite wing, an additional hardpoint on each side, an elevated cockpit, and an upgraded version of the Pegasus engine, producing 23,500 pounds of thrust. The Legacy The Harrier was an outstanding weapons system that served for decades through war and peace, but Father Time comes for everything sooner or later. By 2027, the last of the Marine Corps Harriers will be retired, and the squadrons will transition to the new kid in town: the Lockheed F-35B Lightning II. Aviation Aviation The world's first jump jet: How we got the legendary Harrier II By Friedrich Seiltgen Fixed Wing Why Saddam Hussein buried Iraq's air force in the desert Why Saddam Hussein buried Iraq's air force in the desert By Blake Stilwell Aviation The Navy is spending $1.1 billion on the most successful air-to-air missile in the world The Navy is spending $1.1 billion on the most successful air-to-air missile in the world By Miguel Ortiz Aviation If the F-47 is named after Trump, here are the namesakes of America's other fighter jets If the F-47 is named after Trump, here are the namesakes of America's other fighter jets By Logan Nye Fixed Wing How fighter jets can 'headbutt' enemy planes How fighter jets can 'headbutt' enemy planes By Logan Nye Solve the daily Crossword
