Britain Votes for Favorite Butterfly in First-Ever Poll

Britons are getting the chance to crown their favorite butterfly in a cheerful new nationwide poll that celebrates the colorful insects fluttering through gardens and meadows across the country.

Butterfly Conservation is running the contest through June 7, inviting everyone to choose from 60 species that call Britain home. The contenders range from common garden visitors like the small tortoiseshell to rare showstoppers like the purple emperor, which John Masefield once called an "oakwood haunting thing."

Julie Williams, chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, says butterflies hold a special place in British hearts. From Sir David Attenborough to the hundreds of thousands of people who participate in the Big Butterfly Count, these delicate creatures inspire genuine joy.

A recent survey found butterflies were the most loved creatures from people's childhoods. Now this contest follows in the footsteps of Britain's favorite bird competition, which the beloved robin won in 2015.

Why This Inspires

No contestant better embodies hope than the large blue butterfly. The species vanished from Britain entirely in 1979, but conservation scientists refused to give up. After years of dedicated work, they reintroduced caterpillars from Sweden and learned the butterfly's secret: its survival depends on specific ant species.

Today, the large blue is thriving. Britain now hosts more large blues than anywhere else on Earth, making it the world's most successful example of bringing an extinct insect back to life.

Not every butterfly has such a happy tale. The small tortoiseshell, once a garden staple across southern England, has mysteriously declined despite abundant nettles for its caterpillars. Scientists think climate change might be the culprit, showing how these fragile creatures reflect the health of our environment.

The swallowtail offers something special too. With tiger stripes and elegant tails, it looks tropical but is uniquely British. This subspecies is smaller and darker than its European cousins after centuries in Norfolk's marshlands, where it now breeds in barely 20 locations.

The contest celebrates not just beauty but the connection people feel to nature. Whether voters choose the brilliant copper-colored small copper, the spring-heralding brimstone, or the poop-loving purple emperor (yes, it really prefers fox scat to flowers), each butterfly represents a small wonder worth protecting.

This nationwide vote reminds us that paying attention to the tiniest creatures can spark the biggest conservation victories.