Woman spots small creature — considered locally extinct for 100 years — in her garden
While in her garden in Scotland, a woman spotted a small creature. The animal’s looks might not have been shocking, but its presence certainly was. The species had been considered locally extinct for 100 years.
The woman had planted common rock-rose flowers in her garden in Stirlingshire, the Butterfly Conservation said in a Sept. 4 news release. This plant is the “only plant” eaten by caterpillars of the northern brown argus butterfly species.
The northern brown argus butterfly has dark brown wings outlined in white, photos shared by the Butterfly Conservation on Facebook show. It has several orange spots near the lower end of its wings and a white spot on each side of its upper wings.
Northern brown argus butterflies were “once found in abundance” in Stirlingshire, the organization said. Habitat loss and overgrazing threatened the species until experts considered it locally extinct.
When the butterfly reappeared in a garden in Stirlingshire, it was the area’s first sighting in 100 years, the release said.
The initial sighting sparked a wider search for the species, the organization said. Volunteers discovered “a few small colonies of the butterfly on the steep hills” near Dumyat Estate.
“In another exciting turn of events, the northern brown argus is now confirmed to be breeding at the site, which is owned by The Future Forest Company,” the organizations said.
Lindsay Mackinlay, the head of biodiversity at The Future Forest Company, said, “We are delighted that this rare butterfly can once again be spotted on the hills below Dumyat.”
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” the conservation manager at Butterfly Conservation, David Hill, said in the release. “The re-emergence of a previously locally-extinct species in its former habitat is incredibly special and rare.”
To help support the species’ return, Dumyat Estate will be cleared of invasive weeds to allow the butterfly’s preferred rock-rose plants to grow in the area, Mackinlay said. Additionally, wildlife experts will monitor the species’ population over the next few years.
Stirlingshire is a region in central Scotland, about 35 miles northwest of Edinburgh and about 400 miles northwest of London.
This story was originally published September 7, 2023 at 11:52 AM with the headline "Woman spots small creature — considered locally extinct for 100 years — in her garden."
