August 4, 2025
Pigs as ecosystem engineers: The Effect of Rooting Behaviour on Butterfly and Plant Communities in a Rewilded Landscape
This study investigates how wild pig rooting behaviour affects butterfly and plant communities at Knepp. Rooting reduced overall butterfly abundance but increased plant diversity and supported rarer butterfly species, demonstrating pigs important role as ecosystem engineers.
June 19, 2025
Purple Emperor Report 2023
Step into the world of the elusive Purple Emperor Butterfly at Knepp with this 2023 survey.
September 20, 2023
The Purple Emperor at Knepp
Discover the magic of the purple emperor at Knepp, where Britain’s most elusive butterfly put on a spectacular show in 2023.
October 10, 2022
The Large Tortoiseshell at Knepp
Discover the return of the elusive large tortoiseshell butterfly at Knepp, with confirmed breeding and sightings in 2022—a thrilling highlight for wildlife enthusiasts!
June 23, 2021
Back from the Brink! The 2021 Purple Emperor Season at Knepp
After a disastrous 2020, Knepp’s Purple Emperors staged an unexpected comeback in 2021. Despite late emergence, wild weather and a mid-season heatwave, these elusive butterflies returned, offering hope for the seasons ahead.
August 4, 2025
Pigs as ecosystem engineers: The Effect of Rooting Behaviour on Butterfly and Plant Communities in a Rewilded Landscape
This study investigates how wild pig rooting behaviour affects butterfly and plant communities at Knepp. Rooting reduced overall butterfly abundance but increased plant diversity and supported rarer butterfly species, demonstrating pigs important role as ecosystem engineers.
June 19, 2025
Purple Emperor Report 2023
Step into the world of the elusive Purple Emperor Butterfly at Knepp with this 2023 survey.
September 20, 2023
The Purple Emperor at Knepp
Discover the magic of the purple emperor at Knepp, where Britain’s most elusive butterfly put on a spectacular show in 2023.
October 10, 2022
The Large Tortoiseshell at Knepp
Discover the return of the elusive large tortoiseshell butterfly at Knepp, with confirmed breeding and sightings in 2022—a thrilling highlight for wildlife enthusiasts!
June 23, 2021
Back from the Brink! The 2021 Purple Emperor Season at Knepp
After a disastrous 2020, Knepp’s Purple Emperors staged an unexpected comeback in 2021. Despite late emergence, wild weather and a mid-season heatwave, these elusive butterflies returned, offering hope for the seasons ahead.
May 13, 2021
Butterflies at Knepp: Seventeen Years of Change in a Rewilded Landscape
From rare arrivals to booming populations, discover the surprising stories butterflies tell about Knepp’s wild transformation.
June 23, 2020
Locked Down! The 2020 Purple Emperor Season at Knepp
2020 brought storms, soaring temperatures and hungry predators to Knepp. For the Purple Emperors, it was a year of shredded wings and shattered expectations.
May 5, 2020
Repeat of the Baseline Moth Survey
Explore the results of Knepp’s 2015/2016 moth survey repeat—tracking species composition and abundance a decade after baseline sampling.
December 1, 2018
Paradise Regained! The Knepp Wildland 2018 Purple Emperor Season
Discover how the long, hot summer of 2018 sparked one of the most extraordinary Purple Emperor seasons ever recorded at Knepp.