High Brown and Pearl-bordered Fritillary Butterflies
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Fritillary Butterflies |
The High brown fritillary (Argynnis adippe) is one of the UK's rarest butterflies
and only one site now remains in Powys. The site is a large common in Montgomeryshire
where the rare pearl-bordered fritillary is also found.
The pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria euphrosyne) is also one of the UK's rarest
butterflies. It is found at only ten sites in Wales, of which seven occur in Powys.
Both fritillary species inhabit south-facing bracken covered hillsides and woodland
glades, where they feed and lay their eggs on violet plants.
Most of the Powys sites for the fritillary butterflies are on common land. These
sites are often grazed intermittently nowadays, and often not sufficiently to support
the butterfly populations. Commons have the added problem of several different
graziers. Through the LBAP money has been secured for a three-year habitat management
project under CCW's species challenge fund and Powys County Council to manage all
seven of the fritillary butterfly sites in Powys.
Work has already begun in Radnorshire at the last remaining site in the vice county.
The other six sites – all in Montgomeryshire are currently under review and management
priorities are being drawn up so that work can begin in spring 2003. Management will
include bracken and scrub clearance and manipulation of grazing levels where possible,
to allow maximum growth and flowering period for spring flowers, particularly violets
which fritillary caterpillars use as their food plant. Swathes will be cut into the
bracken to give an effect like woodland rides which will open up the bracken canopy.
The project also hopes to replace damaged fences where possible and to control areas
which are grazed.
Money was also obtained to under take a survey of sites adjacent to known
pearl-bordered fritillary locations, to establish whether there were any further
populations in Powys which were not currently known about.
Over 30 sites were visited and assessed for Pearl-bordered fritillary in April and
May 2002. These sites were identified from the Phase 1 vegetation survey as being south
facing bracken or gorse or open woodland within 5km of an existing pearl-bordered
fritillary site.
The most promising sites were re-visited several times during the flight period and
two previously unknown sites ere found. Both of these sites were in close proximity to
Y Golfa common in Montgomeryshire and nine butterflies were seen on each site. This
raises the total number of sites in Wales to 12 so the finding is highly significant.
High Brown Fritillary
Action Plan (Size: 1428 Kb) Pearl Bordered Fritillary
Action Plan (Size: 1058 Kb)
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