Warmest spring on record in the UK provides insights into how a specialist spring-flying butterfly may respond to future climate change

The Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) is a vulnerable species of conservation interest in the UK. Previous research has suggested that the butterfly is sensitive and vulnerable to temperature increases, with a strikingly limited ability to maintain a stable thoracic temperature across a range of air temperatures compared to other butterfly species. However, these calculations were limited by the narrow range of air temperatures in which thoracic temperatures were measured, as air temperatures above 20 °C are rare during the spring flight period of this butterfly in the UK. During the warmest spring in the UK since records began, we measured the body temperatures of six adult Duke of Burgundy butterflies at Totternhoe Nature Reserve, Bedfordshire, at air temperatures over 20 °C. Together with existing data, we used this information to recalculate a buffering ability for the Duke of Burgundy. We found that adult Duke of Burgundy shows a greatly improved ability to buffer its body tempera..., , # Data from: Warmest spring on record in the UK provides insights into how a specialist spring-flying butterfly may respond to future climate change

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.tdz08kqcn](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.tdz08kqcn)

## Description of the data and file structure

Body temperatures of the Duke of Burgundy butterfly were taken at a range of air temperatures, including unusually high air temperatures, to calculate how well this species can control its body temperature as air temperature changes.

### Files and variables

#### File: Duke_of_Burgundy_2019_2025.xlsx

**Description:** Body temperatures and air temperatures of Duke of Burgundy butterflies taken at Totternhoe Nature Reserve in 2019 and 2025.

##### Variables

* Reserve: The nature reserve at which measurements were taken 
* Year: The year that measurements were taken
* Date: The date that measurements were taken
* Air temperature: The temperature in shade at waist height
* Body temperature: The temperature of the b...,