Large Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis polychloros)
Key Details
| Taxonomic Groups: | Invertebrate > insect - butterfly > Butterfly |
| Red List Status: | Regionally Extinct (GB scale) (Not Relevant) [RE(nr)] |
| D5 Status: | Included in the baseline Red List Index for England (Wilkins, Wilson & Brown, 2022) |
| Section 41 Status: | (not listed) |
| Taxa Included Synonym: | (none) |
| UKSI Recommended Name: | Nymphalis polychloros |
| UKSI Recommended Authority: | (Linnaeus, 1758) |
| UKSI Recommended Qualifier: | (none specified) |
| Red List Citation: | Fox & Dennis, 2021 |
| Notes on taxonomy/listing: | (none) |
Criteria
| Question 1: | Does species need conservation or recovery in England? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | GB Red List (Fox et al. 2022): RE. Large Tortoiseshell remains Regionally Extinct. Since the species died out as a resident in Britain, probably by the 1980s, is has continued to be recorded as a scarce immigrant/vagrant. Sightings have increased in the last few years, in parallel with a population increase in continental Europe, as well as (illicit) releases of captive stock by enthusiasts. There is evidence of possible recent colonisation in southern England. |
| Question 2: | Does recovery/ conservation depend on species-specific actions? |
| Response: | No |
| Justification: | Sightings have increased in the last few years, in parallel with a population increase in continental Europe, as well as (illicit) releases of captive stock by enthusiasts. There is evidence of possible recent colonisation in southern England but difficult to differentiate. |
| Question 3: | At a landscape scale, would the species benefit from untargeted habitat management to increase habitat mosaics, structural diversity, or particular successional stages? |
| Response: | Yes |
| Justification: | Increased availability of Elm trees, particularly Wych Elm, Sallows and Willows. |
Species Assessment
Not relevant as no Key Actions defined.
Key Actions
No Key Actions Defined
Acknowledgment:
Data used on this website are adapted from Threatened species recovery actions 2025 baseline (JP065): Technical report and spreadsheet user guide (Natural England, 2025). Available here.