07/09/2026: The 2026 Big Butterfly Count results for Kingston University

A quick update following last month’s national Big Butterfly Count surveys at Kingston University sites.

This year I once again had 16 volunteers helping to survey all of the Kingston University sites and between us, we managed to complete 34 surveys.

Compared with the 2025 surveys, we only had one survey where we had a nil count which was great an improvement both on last year where we had 5 sites, and 2024, where we had 12 sites where we had surveys with nil counts.  We had a total number of 201 butterflies and moths spotted this year with 15 identified species so we were 3 species down from 2025, but we had new species like the Hummingbird Hawk Moth (Macroglossum stellatarum) and a Clouded yellow (Colias croceus).

Full table of the 2026 results, click on image to see a larger version. 

This year’s big winner was the Small White (Pieris rapae), spotted on 22 of our survey locations, in joint second place were the Meadow Brown (Maniola jurtina) and Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta), spotted on 10 survey sites each.

This was definitely a Painted Lady Summer, with the species showing up on 6 survey sites, compared with one in 2025.

The block below has been made up of the species spotted during this years counts, with one red herring which was spotted in the count period, but after one of the site surveys had just finished. Can you spot and name the odd one out?

A few of us were recording on iNaturalist during the survey period and you can check out some of the moths and butterflies seen (both during official counts, and other surveys) in the three week period on our sites. 

You too can add to these records and the Kingston University London iNaturalist project and help us record the wildlife we have on our sites. It’s only through constant surveys and knowing what it is that we have on our sites, can we best manage our habitats for the wildlife that rely on them. 

The charts below show the full breakdown of the results by survey location for 2026. If you click on each, they should become bigger on your screen. 

You can also help the wider borough aims for getting more people to record wildlife in our borough to better understand and protect nature, by taking part in the 100 by 100 challenge for next year’s international City Nature Challenge. The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames are setting up a Kingston Borough project in the same way that I have for the University. 

We will be adding in green spaces that have friends of groups and running workshops this year and next year to get people up to speed on the iNaturalist app and hopefully get 100 of you to commit to making 100 observations in the green spaces of Kingston as well as the nearby streets.  Follow us on the Kingston University Biodiversity Eventbrite page here

Thank you again for everyone who has taken part this year. We'll be back near year for more butterfly surveys, so if you want to take part next year, add a reminder in your calendar now and check out the Kingston University Biodiversity Eventbrite page in June 2027 :)

Until next time. 

take care

Sivi