Wildlife lovers are needed to help create habitat on Portland for one of Dorset’s rarest butterflies.
Large numbers of the Silver-studded Blue were once seen at Butterfly Conservation’s Broadcroft Quarry reserve in the mid 1990’s, with more than 500 regularly recorded every year. During 2014, this number dropped to just 61 butterflies.
Butterfly Conservation’s Monitoring Co-ordinator, Ian Middlebrook explained: “Back in the 1990’s, the most you would see in one day would be around 200. The highest count on one day last year was about 23.”
This attractive butterfly has become a rarity in most regions of Britain, with many colonies lost over the last century. The destruction of heaths and the shading out of the sunny habitats it requires are believed to be the main cause of its decline. In northern England some populations have been lost entirely.
Butterfly Conservation’s Dorset Branch has been working to maintain the right habitat for the Silver-studded Blue in the areas of the county where it can still be found, but more volunteers are needed to carry out the vital work.
Volunteers are being asked to help create the right habitat conditions for the butterfly at a free event at the Broadcroft reserve this Sunday (8th February).
Much of the work will involve clearing scrub and scraping the ground to create warm, open surfaces suitable for the black ants found at the Quarry.
They have an important relationship with the Silver-studded Blue and are crucial to its survival. The ants attend to the caterpillars, licking their sugar-rich secretions in return. When the caterpillar turns into a chrysalis, the ants will bury it underground or take it into their nest, caring for it and protecting it from any predators until the butterfly emerges.
The Silver-studded Blue can be seen flying from late June through until mid-August. The male can be distinguished from similar species like the Common Blue by the thicker black margins on its upper wings and the black marginal spots on the underwing. These are studded with silvery-blue centres and it is these metallic ‘studs’ that lend the butterfly its name.
If you would like to help ensure this beautiful butterfly’s future, please contact Nigel Spring on 01963 23559 or 07981 776767 or email: [email protected]
If you can't help out on this event, there are plenty of other opportunities to get involved with our Dorset Branch.