Eight species of butterfly at Gaitbarrows NNR, Lancashire

May 22, 2012:
At long last today was ideal butterfly weather and many species were flying. The Duke of Burgundy was very scarce, only one (or possibly a second one) seen. A Pearl-bordered Fritillary flew urgently along the rides but never settled although Dingy Skippers were more approachable when resting on the short turf. A single Green Hairstreak remained well concealed, perched on a similarly-coloured bramble leaf and a Small Copper regularly patrolled one small area. Also flying were Speckled Woods, Orange-tips and Brimstones.

The recently re-introducd Lady's Slipper orchid was in full flower whilst at nearby Leighton Moss Broad-bodied Chasers perched amongst last year's dead Phragmites spikes.

The following day, in equally good weather, two Duke of Burgundy and three Pearl-bordered Fritillaries were seen on Whitbarrow, across the county border in Cumbria

 A Pearl-bordered Fritillary on Whitbarrow (May 23)



BUTTERFLY: Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, Haverthwaite, Cumbria, and a comparison with its close relative

June 12 & 15, 2010:
A colony of Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries was found on very boggy, acidic ground near Haverthwaite where the butterflies were frequently nectaring on bog-bean (Menyanthes trifoliata). This butterfly is usually found in open woodland and scrub, often over limestone, where its food-plant, various species of violet, commonly grow. Therefore, this unusual site was in strong contrast to its normal one. Small Pearl-bordered Fritillaries are much commoner than the close related, scarce, and now threatened Pearl-bordered Fritillary which flies earlier from May onwards, although their flight periods do overlap.


[Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary: upper side. Very similar to the Pearl-bordered Fritillary, below]




[Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary: underside. The additional silver spots, the dark chevrons, and the large central spot, all on the hind wing (see notes below) can be clearly seen]

Viewed from above the two species are very difficult to separate even when at rest but if the undersides of their hind wings are examined the differences become apparent. In the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, there are several additional central silver spots as well as the seven on the wing margin (there are only two bright central spots on the Pearl-bordered), the outer spots are outlined with dark chevrons and the adjacent line of dark spots is bold (this is not so in Pearl-bordered), and also there is a large black-margined central spot in the Small Pearl-bordered but this is almost insignificant in the other species. Compared with the male Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary, the female has more rounded wings, a broader body, and is more heavily marked.

See below for the Pearl-bordered Fritillary's upper- and under-sides as photographed at Gait Barrows recently.


[Pearl-bordered Fritillary, upper-side. Very similar to that of the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary]


[Pearl-bordered Fritillary, showing its differently marked under-side]

BUTTERFLY: Spring butterflies in the Lancashire/Cumbria border area

May 20-23, 2010:
The extremely hot sunny weather over these few days provided an opportunity to see some of the interesting butterflies which fly at this time of year. Whitbarrow (south Cumbria) and Gaitbarrows NNR (north Lancashire) are both excellent sites for butterflies as well as much else. At each, there are good colonies of the nationally-scarce Duke of Burgundy Fritillary whose habitat is woodland glades and open scrub with an abundance of its larval food plant, Cowslip (Primula veris). A rather small neatly-marked butterfly, it flies from mid-May into June.






Duke of Burgundy Fritillary

Also at these sites, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary can be found, another species under threat which has seriously declined in recent years. Again, woodland glades are favoured where there are violets (Viola spp.), its food plant. This butterfly is in flight a few weeks earlier than the commoner, less threatened, but closely-related Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary.




Pearl-bordered Fritillary: (the characteristic spotting on the underside of the wing distinguishes it from its relative, the Small Pearl-bordered Fritillary).

At Gaitbarrows on the barer, stony areas, the Dingy Skipper was active and very restless but rarely perched for long and so made photography difficult. Its food plant, Bird's foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) didn't appear to hold its interest on this occasion.


Dingy Skipper

At Foulshaw (south Cumbria), Orange Tips and Speckled Woods were flying but a small colony of Green Hairstreaks which favoured a small patch of Garlick Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) was of particular interest. This is the only British butterfly with green-pigmented scales. Often found in scrub, it has a wide range of food plants.




Green Hairstreak

Nearby, a brightly coloured, newly emerged Small Copper was flying. Species of Rumex (Sorrel) are its foodplant.


Small Copper