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Queen of Spain butterfly invades Britain – but will it become native?

Attributed to The Guardian. ENC is not independently verifying these facts.

Queen of Spain butterfly invades Britain – but will it become native?

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  • Whether the original outlet issues a correction or update.
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The Guardian reports the following. ENC is republishing it as an attributed briefing, not as independently confirmed fact. If this item is false or incomplete, the responsibility sits with The Guardian, which released it. This year thousands of the golden-coloured butterfly have arrived in Britain in what one expert calls ‘a bold attempt at colonisation’ The Queen of Spain has invaded. The enigmatic British visits of this gorgeous golden-coloured butterfly with distinctively shaped, squared-off hindwings have been recorded by lepidopterists for four centuries. Usually there are barely a handful of sightings each summer of a butterfly that is widespread across continental Europe. This year, thousands have flown in, some from France and Spain that have reached the south coast, and others from the Netherlands, which have fluttered into East Anglia. Continue reading... Original link: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/oct/29/queen-of-spain-butterfly-invades-britain-but-will-it-become-native

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