A rare butterfly has mysteriously appeared in the Black Country, with experts believing they have been bred in captivity and deliberately released.
The large copper butterfly has been spotted in the Bumble Hole Nature Reserve in Dudley and the adjoining Warrens Hall Nature Reserve in Rowley Regis, causing hundreds of wildlife enthusiasts to flock to the area.
It is believed to be the European subspecies of the butterfly, with the British subspecies going extinct in the 1850s due to the destruction of its fenland habitats.
Mike Williams, from the West Midlands branch of the Butterfly Conservation charity, said piecing together their origins was proving "a bit of a detective story".
Crowds of wildlife lovers have been keen to try and photograph the extremely rare butterflies.
