According to this year's Big Butterfly count the number of people taking part was almost double that of 2010 but the sightings were down by 11% due to the 'cold and often unsettled summer weather'.
The customary behaviour of other insects and plants has been shaken around this year, including an unusual Dahlia in the South West of England.
At Bicton College in Devon, a central American Dahlia Imperialis is flowering for the first time in eight years and more profusely than in a decade.
"The flowers - although beautiful - are just a spectacular bonus in this country. The flowers of the tree genus of dahlia are about 15cm across, and are a pinkish-purple. The arching flower's sprays can reach up to nearly 1m across and contain dozens of flowers, which fortunately point downward," Bicton College said.
Being 3-5m high, this Dahlia begins growing in April and May and usually the buds shrivel with the first frosts.
"It was planted about 15-18 years ago by a previous head gardener of the college, Richard Fulcher, where he acquired it from I do not know,” said Patrick Welch, Bicton College horticultural lecturer.
"There are a number of plants still in flower that would normally by now have ceased flowering due to frost, such as the Hebe 'Great Orme', Abelia x grandiflora and Salvia leucantha.
"The plant is still in flower but it is starting to look 'tired'," said Patrick Welch.
Like other dahlias in this much-loved genus, the imperialis is a tuberous perennial. This dahlia has hollow stems, once actually used as pipes to carry drinking water.
Some perennials are in flower and some common butterflies are still breeding. The Red Admiral, Peacock and the Small Tortoiseshell were the 5th,6th and 9th most commonly seen in the Big Butterfly count sighting's list.
Not only that, they have been seen by the Devon Wildlife Trust in recent weeks alighting on the flowers in bloom.
Related: RHS, Dahlias bloom in unseasonal weathers
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