Western Daily Press (Saturday)
FLIGHTS OF FANCY
The West Country is a national stronghold for a number of rare fritillary butterflies, which can be identified by their chequerboard patterning of orangey-gold. CHARLIE ELDER finds his first of the season
The recent wet and windy weather has not exactly been ideal for butterfly spotting. It feels as if May has yet to get into its stride when it comes to warmth-loving insect life.
However, on a walk through woodland near the western edge of Dartmoor I was treated to sightings of a species which is not only attractive but also something of a national scarcity.
A brief spell of sunshine between rain showers nudged up the temperature a few degrees and within minutes butterflies took to the wing beside the valley path I was following in Lydford Forest.
Small male fritillaries began patrolling their territories beside me, fluttering up and down the south-facing bank, warding off rival males and seeking out females.
Fritillary butterflies are a handsome orangey-gold, chequered with dark markings, and they can be tricky to tell apart, but fortunately a mating pair landed untidily in the grass and enabled me to get a close look.
The appearance of the underside of the hind wings can be as useful as that of the upper wings in confirming the identity of fritillary lookalikes, and these two bore an intricate stained glass-style patterning of orange, white and gold coloured panels.
At the centre was a distinctive ‘duck head’ marking – a dark spot resembling an eye, set within an orange ‘head’ bearing a pearly white beak. This, among other features, helped confirm it as a pearl-bordered fritillary.
The pearl-bordered fritillary is a butterfly of woodland clearings and rough, bracken-covered habitats, and is one of the earliest fritillaries to be out and about in spring. Once widespread, it has declined markedly in range and population, and scattered colonies are now mostly found in northern Scotland, part of southern England and the South West.
The sighting made me realise how fortunate we are in the West Country to live in an area which is a stronghold for a number of scarce fritillary butterflies – and with warm months ahead there is plenty of opportunity to encounter them.
Among the varieties is the small pearl-bordered fritillary, which is very similar in appearance to the pearl-bordered fritillary though with blacker lines and a central string of white pearls on the underwing. It is also found in decent numbers in western areas of
Britain, including the
West Country, but has been lost
from much of its former range in the east of England. Perhaps the pick of the bunch when it comes to West Country fritillaries is the rare high brown fritillary, which is one of the UK’s most endangered butterflies. Dartmoor and Exmoor are among the few places it can be seen in high summer, along with the Lake District. Once widespread, habitat loss has seen numbers decline by 90 per cent since the 1970s, and it is now confined to fewer than 50 sites.
This is a handsome looking, sun-worshipping species, with exquisitely marked golden-brown wings. The appearance is similar to the more common dark green fritillary, but this latter species has a green wash to its silver spotted underwings.
The heath fritillary is another West Country wonder. This rare species, traditionally associated with coppiced woodland, was once teetering on the brink of extinction in Britain. However, careful habitat management has ensured its survival – although the few colonies that remain are small dots on the UK map, around Exmoor, at locations in Devon, Cornwall, Essex and Kent.
This is not as brightly coloured as some fritillary butterflies, looking a bit darker, with a light fringe to the wings. The markings are neat, as if they have been stencilled onto the orangey background, and the underside is attractively patterned with rows of pale pearls.
Heath fritillaries are on the wing mainly in June and July, flying close to the ground, and are found in sunny and warm spots, including woodland clearings, sheltered heath and rough grassland habitats.
When it comes to ornate patterning, the marsh fritillary is a stunning specimen. It has been described as having a kind of retro look about it, as if its wings have been cut from ‘70s curtain fabric.
Its range has retreated to enclaves in western Britain, where it is found in damp grasslands, downland and woodland clearings.
Late in summer, in July and August, our largest fritillary can be seen in the South West as well as across southern Britain – the silver-washed fritillary. This powerful flier of woodland glades is not a scarcity like the others described, but worth keeping an eye out for nonetheless as it is a fritillary that may visit gardens – joining red admirals and peacocks on buddleia and bramble blossom.
All in all, the West Country has an impressive range of fritillary butterflies animating bright days with their fluttering flight and marmalade colours. They are not always easy to tell apart, and it can be worth taking photos in order to examine markings more closely. One butterfly that can cause confusion, for example, is the comma, which looks similar to a fritillary – however its orangey wings are ragged at the edges and fairly plain brown underneath.
There is something special about chancing across a fritillary butterfly – they have a rare quality, and in some cases are genuine rarities. By visiting areas of good habitat on warm days, one should hopefully get lucky. Happy hunting!