Did you take part in the Butterfly Conservation charity’s Big Butterfly Count, which finished last weekend? Even before the final results were in, Butterfly Conservation reported that sightings of Jersey Tiger moths were causing a flutter of excitement, thanks to the species’ exotic appearance and newcomer status in more parts of the UK.

It comes after the UK recorded its warmest and sunniest-ever spring, which has prompted a flurry of unusual butterfly and moth activity.

I’ve mentioned Jersey Tigers several times here in Out and About, after this striking day-flying moth was spotted repeatedly in our area. Yet just a decade ago, it was restricted to the Channel Islands and the south coast of England.

Even as the Big Butterfly Count reached its midway point, Butterfly Conservation reported that 5,300 of these beautiful insects had already been recorded — compared to a total of 3,496 for the whole of last summer’s Count. Their range continues to spread north, and they have now been spotted in Cardiff, Birmingham, Cambridgeshire and Essex.

It’s thought this summer’s record-breaking warm, relatively dry conditions have helped them spread their wings in abundance and settle in parts of the UK where they may never have occurred before.

The Jersey Tiger moth differs from the Garden Tiger moth in that its forewings have black and white stripes, whereas the Garden Tiger has a leopard-skin pattern of black spots on a white background. The hindwings of both are red with black spots, but the spot patterns are different.

Butterfly Conservation’s experts have also been sharing their excitement after a species from southern Europe was confirmed in the UK for the first time. Two sightings of the Southern Small White were verified: one in Suffolk, the other in County Durham.

The Southern Small White is a medium-sized butterfly that looks almost identical to the Large White and Small White found commonly across the UK. It can be distinguished by tiny differences in its black wing markings. However, having studied photographs of the species side by side, I have to say the differences are so subtle that, had I seen a Southern Small White, I would have dismissed it as a common Small White — of which I’ve seen very many this summer.

Dr Dan Hoare, Director of Nature Recovery at Butterfly Conservation, said the sightings of the Southern Small White were “really exciting”. He said: “It's always interesting when a new species turns up in the UK, but the Southern Small White has been gradually moving northwards through Europe for over a decade and we were just waiting for it to be seen in England for the first time. Top marks to the eagle-eyed snappers who not only got photos, but also realised the significance of what they’d seen.”

Until recently, the Southern Small White was confined to southern and south-eastern Europe. Then it started moving rapidly north-west at a rate of over 100km per year. It was first found north of the Alps in France and Germany in 2008, in the Netherlands in 2015, and in 2019 was recorded near Calais in France.

Its caterpillars feed on a plant called candytuft, which is popular with gardeners. This could give the species a foothold to become a permanent resident in the UK.

For lots of tips on identifying butterflies and moths, visit Butterfly Conservation’s website: butterfly-conservation.org