A hidden population of one of England's rarest moths, the dark bordered beauty, has been discovered at the Wallington estate in Northumberland. The moth had not been seen at the National Trust site since 1952.
Dr Dave Wainwright, Head of Conservation at Butterfly Conservation, described an "overwhelming feeling of relief" upon the discovery. He has been searching for new English colonies since 2004, having previously visited Wallington in that year without success.
For decades, the only known English site for the dark bordered beauty was Strensall Common in Yorkshire. However, that population has been declining due to climate change and a wildfire. The new discovery offers conservationists fresh hope for the species and suggests other colonies may exist.
The moth's conservation is challenging as its caterpillars only eat aspen and creeping willow plants. The National Trust, which manages Wallington, has expressed hopes of expanding the potential habitat for the moth.