Asian visitor back after 60 years: Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell butterflies spotted on the east coast for first time since 1953

A rare butterfly has been spotted in Britain for the first time in 60 years, having migrated from Eastern Europe.

The only previous record of a wild Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell in Britain was in 1953, when it was seen just once in Sevenoaks, Kent.

In the past week there have already been four confirmed sightings, along the East coast in Norfolk, Suffolk and Kent, and six further reports of the butterfly in coastal areas stretching as far north as Lincolnshire. Conservationists are very excited about the sightings, which are as rare an occurrence as anything in the butterfly world.

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There have been four confirmed sightings of a Yellow-legged tortoiseshell butterfly on the east coast this week and another six possible sightings as far north as Lincolnshire

Richard Fox, of the Butterfly Conservation charity, said: ‘The Yellow-legged Tortoiseshell usually is seen in Eastern Europe - we have only one recorded sighting in this country before now, and that was in 1953. ‘So to have up to ten sightings in a week is incredibly exciting.’

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