Butterfly Islands: Silver-studded Blue

Showing posts with label Silver-studded Blue. Show all posts

Wednesday 11 July 2018

Butterflies on New Forest Heathland.

Arguably the three major butterflies of New Forest Heathland are the Silver-studded Blue,the Grayling,and the Dark Green Fritillary.Yesterday on Beaulieu Heath I saw the first two species.The attractive Silver-studded Blue has been on the wing for a while now although many are still in excellent condition.It is also the time for the first Grayling to appear and they can be found on any bare patch of heathland in particular.

Beaulieu Heath seen from Crockford Stream

Wednesday 13 June 2018

Silver-studded Blue in the New Forest.

An unexpected chance to spend a couple of hours in the New Forest this afternoon resulted in a visit to Latchmore Brook close to the town of Fordingbridge.While exploring the boggy feeder streams that run into the brook for the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly, several male Silver-studded Blue butterflies were seen along the grassy banks.No longer seen on the Isle of Wight this butterfly can be numerous on the New Forest heathland.

Wednesday 19 July 2017

Not Many Silver-studded Blues on Show.

Yesterday on a day trip to see the special damselflies of Crockford Stream in the New Forest I walked an area of heathland which was close by.I expected to see good numbers of Silver-studded Blue here, but numbers were low and all were faded and worn.Perhaps this is a result of early emergence as has occurred with many species this year. However, I did find a Blue in very reasonable condition near to the stream.

Other butterflies on show were Gatekeepers in abundance and a few Grayling on the heath.

New Forest Heathland,habitat for Silver-studded Blue & Grayling

Wednesday 25 February 2015

A Little Gem.

A butterfly found mainly in the southern half of the UK but sadly not on the Isle of Wight is the Silver-studded Blue.The New Forest in particular is an excellent place to see this species, with 'explosions' occurring in some years on the Forest heathlands when thousands can be seen.Sightings of this 'blue' on the Island are rare,the last is a very dubious report of an individual in 2011.Not since the 1940's has the Silver-studded Blue colonised the Island.

The following photographs were taken on a very dismal,grey,and wet July day in the New Forest when the butterflies were keeping deep down in the heather.As with most of the 'blues'the female is not blue like the male,but rather a chocolate brown.The silvery blue 'studs' are visible on the underside of the female in the second picture.

Thursday 20 October 2011

Silver-studded Blue

Unfortunately the Silver-studded Blue is not present on the Isle of Wight,so although it was a cloudy,damp day in July we visited a site in the New Forest,Hampshire to see this small blue butterfly.In a marshy area low down in the grass tussocks we came across several males and females.Sites for the Silver-studded are restricted in Britain,mainly in the south of England where some large colonies can be seen.

The Adonis Blue

The Large Tortoiseshell

It seems the general view on the status of the Large Tortoiseshell in Britain is that it is now extinct as a breeding butterfly.
It is a butterfly of woodland edges and hedgerows that abound in willows,elms,and poplars.These trees are used by the adult to lay its eggs and this single brood appears in July and August.The emerging butterfly then hibernates over the winter in log piles and hollow trees until the next spring.
On the Isle of Wight sightings are more often than not made from early March to April.Have these butterflies overwintered on the Island or have they come from the continent where it is common?
Any sightings made in July/August pose the same question.Another explanation could be that captive-bred releases are responsible.Only the discovery of eggs and caterpillars will probably answer these questions.

I can now report that evidence has been found of breeding just along the coast at Portland in Dorset (June 2020) and again at the same location in the summer of 2021.

The Glanville Fritillary

This elegant butterfly is mainly confined to the crumbling undercliffs and chalk downs of the Isle of Wight.It is also found on the Channel Islands and at one or two isolated colonies on the British mainland.In Britain the Glanville Fritillary is at the extreme north-western edge of its range.On the continent it is readily found in flowery habitats.
Around the southern shores of the Isle of Wight the cliffs constantly erode causing them to slip away and provide perfect conditions for new growths of the butterflies laval host plant,Ribwort Plantain.
The eggs are laid to the underside of the leaves of this plant and normally hatch after about three weeks.The resulting caterpillars live together in communal webs spun over the plantain.In the autumn they hibernate and recommence feeding in the spring,eventually dispersing to prepare for pupation.
The adult butterfly is on the wing from May to the end of June with the female being larger than the male.They will feed on,amongst other things, Birds-foot Trefoil and Thrift.

The Wall Brown

On the Isle of Wight in particular,the Wall Brown is a butterfly of field edges,coastal cliffs and dunes,and rabbit-grazed downland.
The male is territorial and spends much of the time patrolling and basking on the ground.
The female,which lacks the males conspicuous dark sex brand across the forewings,is larger.The undersides of both sexes are beautifully cryptic when at rest.
The Wall Brown generally produces two broods a year,the first from late April until late June and the second from mid-July to mid-September.