A PURBECK-based wildlife charity is calling on all gardeners in Dorset to help solve the mystery of the UK's garden butterflies.

According to the Butterfly Conservation, based at East Lulworth, very little is known about the winged insects living in our gardens although long-running studies indicate more is known about the UK's countryside and habitat butterflies than any other insect group in the world - with information dating back hundreds of years.

In an effort to find out more about how garden butterflies are faring the charity has launched the Garden Butterfly Survey, which will potentially show declines and increases in number, how they are affected by climate change, what plants they really prefer and the best size and location for a butterfly-friendly garden.

Butterfly Conservation head of recording, Richard Fox, said: “We are a nation of gardeners and a nation of wildlife lovers. The Garden Butterfly Survey brings these two abiding passions together to help conserve the UK’s beleaguered butterflies.

“Butterflies are a beautiful and important part of the UK’s wildlife and our gardens are where they are most often encountered. Despite this, we know very little about how butterflies are faring in our gardens or even how important gardens are as a habitat for them.”

The UK's estimated 22 million gardens - representing an area roughly the size of Somerset - could offer vitally-important habitats at a time when butterflies face unprecedented threats.

Participants of the survey will be encouraged to count species every month of the year as climate change has seen butterfly flight periods change, with some species now flying into the winter.

Others have experience tumultuous change in recent decades. The Wall and Small Copper have suffered widespread declines in the countryside over the last 40 years.

A warming climate has also seen regular garden visitors such as the Comma, Ringlet and Speckled Wood experience range expansions.

The online survey collects information about the number, species and time of year butterflies are seen as well important details about the UK’s gardens such as size, geography, and plant cover.

To take part in the Garden Butterfly Survey visit gardenbutterflysurvey.org.