Britons to vote in inaugural contest to find nation’s favourite butterfly

Will it be the rapidly disappearing former garden favourite, the small tortoiseshell? Or the poet John Masefield’s “oakwood haunting thing” , the charismatic purple emperor? Or perhaps the brimstone, the ultimate harbinger of spring ? The question of which is Britain’s favourite butterfly is being put to a popular vote for the first time. The charity Butterfly Conservation is running the poll, which runs until 7 June, giving people the chance to choose their favourite from the 60 species that fly around Britain every summer. Julie Williams, the chief executive of Butterfly Conservation, said: “It’s clear Britain is a nation of butterfly lovers. From Sir David Attenborough and the royal family to the hundreds of thousands of people who have taken part in Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count , these incredible insects hold a very special place in our hearts. “ Now, for the first time ever, we want to find out which of our much-loved butterflies takes the nation’s top spot. From the colourful to the quirky, the common to the elusive, all butterflies are beautiful and we look forward to officially crowning Britain’s favourite.” A recent survey found butterflies were the most-loved creatures from people’s childhoods. The new contest follows competitions to find Britain’s favourite bird – won by the robin in 2015 – and the Guardian’s invertebrate of the year competition , which launches again in the next month. …