England's lost wildlife

Extinct: the spotted sulphur moth flitted its wings for the last time on these shores in 1960 Photograph: David Hosking/FLPA Photograph: David Hosking/FLPA/guardian.co.uk Extinct: The red-backed shrike (Lanius collurio). Last spotted in England in 1988 Photograph: Robin Chittenden/FLPA Photograph: Robin Chittenden/guardian.co.uk Extinct: The greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis) was once the largest bat you could find on these shores; now it has since disappeared completely Photograph: Roger Tidman/FLPA Photograph: Roger Tidman/guardian.co.uk Extinct: The tawny earwig (Labidura riparia). Extinct since about 1930 Photograph: Fabio Pupin/FLPA Photograph: Fabio Pupin/guardian.co.uk Threatened: The red squirrel will be lost within the next 20-30 years unless effective action is taken. This poor fella's just heard the news Photograph: Steward Ellett/BWPA Photograph: Steward Ellett/guardian.co.uk Threatened: Just a very small number of heathland sites in Dorset host the rather striking ladybird spider Photograph: Natural England Photograph: guardian.co.uk Threatened: The Norfolk hawker dragonfly (Aeshna isosceles). Many wetland sites such as those in East Anglia have been eroded or inundated by rising sea levels, which is very bad news for many species such as this hawker, the bittern and the black-tailed godwit Photograph: Gary K Smith/FLPA Photograph: Gary K Smith/guardian.co.uk Threatened: Oh would you look at that? The pine marten. One of England’s rarest, and cutest, mammals Photograph: Andy Rouse/NHPA Photograph: Andy Rouse/guardian.co.uk Threatened: It's not just the doe-eyed ones that suffer, though. The humble but pretty chalkhill blue (Lysandra coridon) is struggling for survival Photograph: Derek Middelton/FLPA Photograph: Derek Middelton/guardian.co.uk Threatened: The pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris) can only be found in a handful of English sites Photograph: ImageBroker/FLPA Photograph: ImageBroker/guardian.co.uk Threatened: The fruitily named shrill carder bumblebee, whose numbers declined by 75% between 1970-90 and 1990-2000 due to loss of unimproved flower-rich grassland Photograph: MJ Hammett/Natural England Photograph: MJ Hammett/guardian.co.uk Threatened: The rather baroque lizard orchid is also dwindling in numbers Photograph: Peter Wakely/Natural England Photograph: Peter Wakely/guardian.co.uk Threatened: The natterjack toad (Bufo calamita). No wonder it looks miffed – this once abundant species suffered spectacular decline due to agricultural intensification, pond acidification, the encroachment of scrub and development for housing, holiday parks and golf courses. Reintroduction has been partially successful Photograph: Do Van Dijck/Minden Pictures/FLPA Photograph: Do Van Dijck/Minden Pictures/guardian.co.uk Recovered: The sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) is basking in the glory of narrowly avoiding extinction in England. It has recovered thanks to natural reintroduction from elsewhere in the UK and deliberate schemes. Hopefully these lively young ones will continue their forefathers' good work Photograph: Derek Middleton/FLPA Photograph: Derek Middleton/guardian.co.uk Recovered: The chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), known for its ostentatious flying style, has been successfully reintroduced to the English countryside Photograph: Paul Hobson/FLPA Photograph: Paul Hobson/guardian.co.uk Recovered: The classic reintroduction success story. The red kite has been continually persecuted by humans, to the point of extinction at the end of the 19th century. But by 2009, the English population was up to about 800 pairs. Rivalled only by the large blue butterfly for the title of comeback king Photograph: AnnMarie Jone/BWPA Photograph: AnnMarie Jone/guardian.co.uk Recovered: The plucky polecat (Mustela putorius). Once extinct from England, this rather attractive weasel managed to recolonise naturally from just a few sites in Wales Photograph: Robin Chittenden/FLPA Photograph: Robin Chittenden/guardian.co.uk Recovered: Another bird back from extinction in England, the great bustard (Otis tarda). It is the world's heaviest flying animal – just look at those wings Photograph: Roger Tidman/FLPA Photograph: Roger Tidman/guardian.co.uk