Wildlife lovers in Buckinghamshire are being asked to help a beautiful purple butterfly by planting oak trees on a Butterfly Conservation (BC) reserve.
Volunteers are invited to attend a free event taking place at Holtspur Bottom Reserve, between High Wycombe and Beaconsfield, on Sunday 8th November.
Purple Hairstreak butterflies can be seen at the site from July to early September each year, but in order to survive they need oak trees to breed in.
Chairman of BC’s Upper Thames Branch, Nick Bowles, said: “We don’t have many oak trees on the reserve and at least one of them is dying. We need to start planting new trees now to secure the future of this butterfly on the reserve. Oak trees take years to mature and they are crucial to the survival of the small population of Purple Hairstreaks at Holtspur. If we left the trees to die, the butterfly might disappear from our reserve.”
The Purple Hairstreak has inky black wings that turn a deep purple as they catch the sun and they are often seen as silvery specks tumbling in the sky above the treetops.
A freshly emerged male’s black-edged wings are sheened with purple and although females are not so brightly coloured, they can be identified from a purple patch on each forewing. The underwings of both sexes are similar, with prominent white lines on a silver-grey background and orange-yellow spots near the corner of the hindwing.
Oak trees provide the only foodplant for the Purple Hairstreak caterpillar, which feeds on the leaves and oak buds from March until early June.
Nick added: “We’re hoping to plant another four trees on the reserve on Sunday 8th, so we’ll need help with clearing the ground, digging the deep holes and planting the young trees, which stand about two and half metres tall at the moment. We provide all the tools and people can do as much or as little as they like. We’ll also be leading a guided tour around the reserve for any newcomers.”
Other tasks include clearing overgrown scrub and there will be an opportunity to help with planting Dark Mullein flowers – the foodplant of a rare moth also found on the site - the Striped Lychnis.
Take a look at what other volunteer events are being put on by the Branch.