More than two-fifths of British butterflies are threatened with extinction including iconic Norfolk species, as experts warn action is needed to prevent species being lost.
The latest Red List for British butterflies shows a worsening picture for many species as climate change and nitrogen pollution pile on the pressure for insects.
Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation said half of British butterflies are on the Red List for Great Britain, classed as either threatened or near threatened.
Scientists from the group used data gathered by volunteers through recording schemes to assess numbers against extinction criteria set out by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
It said the situation has deteriorated since the last Red List assessment in 2011, with five more species threatened with extinction - a 26pc increase.
Andy Brazil, Norfolk' county recorder for Butterfly Conservation, said the new red list was "disappointing news for Norfolk", while declines were probably due to changes in land use and air pollution.
"The iconic British Swallowtail, found only in the Norfolk Broads, is now classed as threatened," he said. "Increased water abstraction leading to acidification of fens, and fungal attacks on its foodplant Milk Parsley have led to a decline in numbers at most sites.
"The Grayling has moved from vulnerable to endangered. Norfolk is a stronghold for this species, particularly in the dunes along the coast, but even here, we recorded a 60pc drop in numbers between 2019 and 2021.
"The Dark-Green Fritillary, once abundant between Winterton and Horsey, is now classified nationally as near-threatened, although numbers have actually increased slightly in Norfolk over the last few years."
Mr Brazil said well-funded conservation projects could still bring species back from the brink. He added Norfolk Butterfly Conservation hopes to start work soon on a project to improve habitat for the Grizzled Skipper, now confined to just two sites in the county.
"The problem is however, that when every species is declining and half are threatened, there just aren’t the resources to protect everything," he added.
"It is really down to the public to create butterfly friendly gardens to help common species, before they too become endangered."
Norfolk's best spots to see butterflies
RSPB Strumpshaw Fen
A great place to see Swallowtails at the moment, later in the year there will be White Admirals in the woods, and an abundance of the commoner species such as Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Brimstone, and Common Blue.
NWT Foxley Wood
July will see Purple Emperor, White Admiral, Silver-washed Fritillary and Purple Hairstreak among the trees, while the paths will have skippers, Gatekeepers and Ringlets in the verges
Holt Country Park
A stronghold for Silver-washed Fritillary, and full of commoner species, the great attraction here is actually the day-flying moths: both the Humming-bird Hawkmoth and the Broad-bordered Bee Hawkmoth can be seen here.
Winterton Dunes to Horsey Gap
This is the best site in Norfolk for Grayling and Dark-green Fritillary, but also has good populations of Small Copper, Common Blue and Brown Argus. You might even see a Wall, one of the rarest Norfolk species.
Buxton Heath
Home to the county’s largest population of Silver-studded Blues, a conservation success as they were moved here in the 1990s from a threatened site a few miles away. It also has good populations of other heathland species such as Small Copper and Brown Argus.
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