Wall butterfly – Lasiommata megera

So many species are on the decline because of urbanisation, intensive agriculture, and, of course, climate change. Yet some are taking advantage of the new conditions. A butterfly is redrawing the map of Britain with little fanfare. A couple of observers spot something unusual at the edge of a field, others check-in a few days later and see the same species, and suddenly a butterfly that in the post-industrial world seemed limited in its range, is now finding new territory in the margins. The Wall, Lasiommata megera, has become one of those intriguing contradictions of British wildlife. It’s generally found on the coast but had declined inland. Yet in parts of eastern England it now appears to be probing new territory, establishing small footholds along farm tracks, sunny verges, and rough, stony field edges. It is often assumed that the name comes from the butterfly’s habit of basking on stone walls, which it does. But, the word wall doesn’t necessarily mean an upright bricks and…