Taking flight:
Butterfly reintroductions
1 LARGE BLUE
Extinct: 1979 throughout Britain Reintroduced: 1980s: Cotswolds, Gloucestershire; Polden Hills, Somerset. 2000: north Cornwall Status: Official projects Flight period: Early June to mid-July Notes: The large blue has a remarkable relationship with red ants. Its caterpillar attracts ants with sweet honeydew and by mimicking their own larvae, as if lost. The ants carry it into their nest, where it devours the grubs.
2 LARGE HEATH
Extinct: Locally extinct Reintroduced: 2012: Heysham Moss, Lancashire Status: Official project Flight period: Late June to mid-August Notes: Large heaths released in this project were expertly reared at Chester Zoo. The adult butterflies always sit with their wings closed, and can fly in quite dull weather, provided the air temperature is above 14°C.
3 MARSH FRITILLARY
Extinct: Locally extinct Reintroduced: 2007: four sites in Cumbria; ; 2018–19: north Hampshire Status: Official projects Flight period: riod: Mid-May to mid-July Notes: Marsh fritillary populations are highly y volatile and the species ies requires extensive e areas of connected ed habitat for its long-term erm survival. It is thought ght that isolated colonies may suffer from om lack of genetic diversity.
4 DINGY SKIPPER
Extinct: Locally extinct Reintroduced: 2013: Northamptonshire Status: Official project Flight period: Mid-May to mid-July; sometimes also late August Notes: Dingy skippers generally emerge from May, and the last few adult butterflies die in mid-July. But after particularly warm summers, there may be a second, smaller brood at the end of August.
5 CHALKHILL BLUE
Extinct: Locally extinct Reintroduced: probably around 2007: Warham Camp, Norfolk Status: Unofficial release Flight period: Early July to late September Notes: Chalkhill blues suddenly appeared in Norfolk, perhaps having been quietly introduced by butterfly enthusiasts. A peak of 7,000 adults were recorded in 2013, but the colony has since seen a 90 per cent decline.
6 GLANVILLE FRITILLARY
Extinct: 1860s on UK mainland Reintroduced: 1983 and 2006: Sand Point, Weston-super-Mare, Weston-super-Mar Somerset Status: Unofficial release releases Flight period: Late April to t late June, and throughout August Notes: In the U UK these showy butterflies were restricted to the Isle of Wight by the 1860s, and two attempts, by people un unknown, to establish them near Westonsuper-Mar super-Mare seem to have failed. In 2 2013, just six adults were recorded here.