A butterfly that lives underground? An evidence case story (EIN023)

A butterfly that spends most of its life underground? Why? What is it doing? What does it eat? Professor Jeremy Thomas solved the puzzle for the large blue butterfly Maculinea arion in the 1970s just before it became extinct in the UK. Fortunately his findings were used to successfully re-introduce the enigmatic species into England. Now, with the help of partners, David Simcox and Sarah Meredith are continuing to discover more about this iconic butterfly and they are using their knowledge to help it to thrive and to survive threats such as habitat loss and climate change.