T he Queen of Spain has invaded. The enigmatic British visits of this gorgeous golden-coloured butterfly with distinctively shaped, squared-off hindwings have been recorded by lepidopterists for four centuries. Usually there are barely a handful of sightings each summer of a butterfly that is widespread across continental Europe.

This year, thousands have flown in, some from France and Spain that have reached the south coast, and others from the Netherlands, which have fluttered into East Anglia.

These migrants have bred, and British-born offspring have emerged this autumn. Last week, hundreds were spotted at East Tilbury and Linford beside the Thames in Essex.

“It’s a bold attempt at the colonisation of the UK,” says butterfly expert Neil Hulme. “The numbers that have poured into the UK has been phenomenal.”

Will the Queen of Spain become Britain’s 61st native species?…